Written in Heaven
by kiseger
Summary: Alice and Jasper find a baby in the woods and take her home. She forms a very strong, unbreakable bond with Edward instantly, which is absolutely unique in the supernatural world, like her entire existence. But not everybody is pleased with their love. Lemons in later chapters...
1. I've waited a century for you

_A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters._

**Chapter 1 – I've waited a century for you...**

I was laying on my black leather couch in my room, listening to some music, just relaxing for once, without any interruption, enjoying my time alone. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the melody, humming it quietly to myself. It always helped me block out the sounds of my surroundings and the others' thoughts and voices, that nearly always filled my head. Although it didn't work completely, it did not silence them fully, only dulled them into a soft background noise, a quiet buzzing in the back of my mind, which was the most I could hope for. Being a mind-reader had always been very hard for me, especially in the first few years or decades of my new life as an immortal, and though I got used to this very unique gift by now, sometimes I still struggled with it and suffered because of it. I could only find peace when I was completely alone, away from anything and anybody, separated from the world.

Just then as the music quietened, the soft, sweet voice of my adopted mother brought me out of my thoughts as she, too, started to hum quietly to herself in our backyard. With one glimpse into her pure, loving thoughts, I knew immediately where she was and what she was doing exactly. She was in the garden, busy with planting different kind of flowers all over the place. This was one of her favourite hobbies and today was just perfect to do it. The weather was nice and the sun was shining - it was one of the few sunny days in Denali, Alaska, where we were living for almost four years now. Esme Cullen was the purest, nicest person I'd ever met, the best mother anybody ever could ask for and simply the perfect mate for my creator and adopted father Carlisle Cullen. They completed each other in every possible way and felt nothing but love and respect for the other.

Carlisle had a job in the local hospital, as he had every time we moved to a new place. Helping to humans, curing the sick and easing their pain was simply his life, even if others of our kind thought that he was denying his true nature as a vampire every single time he did this. He was at work right now, too, taking a double shift, covering the shift of one of his colleagues as well, who had got sick suddenly last night. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that he would be home soon, much to Esme's delight, who missed him very much – her thoughts drifted to him more and more often with each passing minute.

I looked out of my huge widows again and sighed. It was almost twilight, my favourite part of the day, the sun was low on the sky and a soft wind blew among the trees. I watched for a few minutes as it played with the long, caramel colored hair of my mother, blowing a few strands into her heart-shaped face every now and then, which she brushed behind her ears every time.

Letting out a breathy chuckle, I turned my attention then toward my siblings, wandering what they were doing. I heard Rosalie and Emmett from the garage. They were talking and laughing together while she worked on his jeep - his other love besides his wife. They were a so much different couple than our parents, yet just as blissfully happy together. Sometimes I wondered how could that be even possible, because they were the complete opposites of each other, but maybe this was what made them so perfect for the other. Maybe I did not understand the reason of it, but I had absolutely no doubt that they were mates for an eternity.

Jasper and Alice, my other brother and sister, were out hunting for hours now, which I didn't mind at all. That little pixie had been just so annoying in the past few days, getting on my nerves constantly. She'd been more hyperactive than usual. She'd bounced up and down all day, grinning like a mad man. Not even Jasper – who also had a gift like mine; he was able to feel and manipulate the emotions of the others around him - could have calmed her, she'd been too cheerful and excited about something, it'd been just too much to bear. And the most frustrating thing above all else was that she'd blocked her thoughts from me every time she'd been near me by singing songs and repeating poems I hated the most. Sometimes she could be an annoying little creature. For a while I'd wondered what vision she could've seen about our future this time, that she was trying to hide so hard, but after being forced to listen to the song 'He's Got the Whole World in His Hands' for long, agonizing hours, I hadn't even wanted to know it anymore.

About half an hour later I heard the soft purring of Carlisle's Mercedes as he pulled up in our driveway slowly. A few seconds later he joined Esme in the garden. They greeted each other like they hadn't seen the other for centuries, rather than a couple hours. Their thoughts were loud, yet tender and full of happiness and love they felt for each other. They were excited beyond words to be together again.

Sometimes I wished I could have the same thing with somebody that they had with each other. I'd always admired their love. It was pure and unique. But I wasn't unhappy that I was alone. I had my loving family – even though we weren't blood related, our bond was really special, strong and unbreakable -, I had my passion for music and for books and those were enough for me.

"Everybody! Come here, please! Family meeting, now!" Alice's very excited voice pulled me back from my thoughts. She and Jasper just returned from their hunting trip.

I sighed, trying to avoid my sister's bubbly thoughts again, that were practically shouting. She was too excited about something, much more than ever before. Whatever this thing was, it was happening now. At least this was what she was repeating in her head again and again. I rolled my eyes at her odd behavior and got up slowly from my couch. I took my time to turn off the music and put the CD back to its proper place on the shelf, then walked down to the living room at a slow human pace. The others were already there when I arrived. There was complete silence in the room. Even their minds were blank, which was really odd and unusual.

Alice stood in the middle of room with the biggest grin I'd ever seen on her pixie-like face. Jasper was very close to her, hugging her petite form to him protectively, which was a common thing for him to do, at least. But the shocking thing, above all else, was the small bundle in my sister's arms. I couldn't see what was exactly was wrapped in the very pink blanket, but heard clearly a throbbing noise coming from it, but it was nothing I'd ever heard before. A weird, tiny heartbeat, a steady, perfect rhythm, that seemed so loud in the silence of the room. I listened to it, fascinated by its impossible familiarity. I felt like I'd known this sound in my whole existence and could listen to it forever. I _needed_ to listen to it forever.

"Alice? Care to explain it?" Carlisle asked. His voice was calm as always but his thoughts were shadowed with a little worry.

"Of course, Carlisle." she smiled brightly at him. "A few days ago I had a vision. I saw Jasper and myself hunting in the nearby woods and on the way home we found something laying on the forest floor. I saw us bring it home and so here we are now."

She grinned again and lifted up the small thing in her arms slightly. It was still completely covered with a thick, dirty, pink blanket.

"It's a baby. I saw that this angel would become very important to our family." she explained further excitedly.

Everybody gasped. A human baby with a vampire family? Was Alice insane? I wouldn't be surprised.

"Alice? A baby? Are you sure you've seen it right? We can't just keep it. What about its parents?" Carlisle asked.

"I've already seen that we would be looking for them but find nothing. She's going to become a member of our family." she answered while the little creature under the blanket stirred then started crying as hard as its tiny lungs managed.

I saw a flash of an image for a brief moment in my sister's mind but she blocked it immediately. It was a teenage girl. She stood in the middle of a small, perfectly round meadow somewhere deep in a forest, bathing in the warm, bright sunlight. The wind blew her long mahogany hair softly and she smiled beautifully. She was an angel from heaven.

"She?" Esme asked leaning closer to the baby. Her voice was full of wonder and I knew if she could cry she surely would in that moment. She pulled the blanket away a little bit so she could see her.

I gasped as I saw the tiny perfection in her mind. Every muscle in my body froze, and I even stopped breathing. She was breathtakingly beautiful. The most beautiful baby I'd ever seen in my very long existence. How could a fragile, little human be so inhumanly perfect? I couldn't tear my mind away from the picture and I was grateful that my mother couldn't look away from her tiny, beautiful face either. It was so fascinating to me.

"Yeah. It's a girl." Alice smiled up at our mother, rocking the baby back and forth gently, trying to soothe her. But she just cried harder. Her chubby cheeks were red from all the strain and big tears ran down her angelic baby face. It broke my none-beating heart. She shouldn't be crying. She should laugh and be happy. Always.

"Well, let's decide this together then." Carlisle said. "Let's vote. Alice would you like us to keep the baby?"

"Yay! Of course!" Alice shouted, grinning madly, still blocking her thoughts very carefully. Though in that moment I couldn't care less about what else she was trying to hide from me.

I knew the only thing that kept her from starting to bounce up and down was the fact that she was still holding the poor baby, though that didn't stop the excited vibrating that was shaking her whole, petite body. Carlisle smiled and shook his head. He just loved her pixie daughter too much.

"Jasper?" he asked.

I looked at my brother who still held Alice close to him, trying to calm her, with not much success. His thoughts were full of worry. He was scared that he might hurt the baby in a sudden, careless moment.

Something inside me roared with fury at the thought.

"Well... I can feel how excited everybody is about her. But I worry a little about living with a human. What if I accidentally lose my control around her? I..."

"You won't hurt her, Jasper. It's not an option, believe me."

Alice shifted the baby in her arms so she could free one of her hands and put it on her husband's face. Her trust in him was so huge and unquestionable. And I knew it meant the world to Jasper.

"She'll never be a temptation for you." Alice said softly. "I've seen it." she added with a brilliant smile when he furrowed his brows sceptically.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Jasper nodded and looked up at Carlisle again.

"I trust my wife. My vote is yes." he smiled a little and Alice kissed his cheek lovingly.

"Rosalie?" Carlisle turned toward her.

"Yes." she said softly.

I'd never heard her speak like this, ever. Perhaps for the first time in her entire life or existence her thoughts weren't selfish or jealous or angry. They were tender and loving. She already loved this tiny, little girl.

"Of course yes. It will be so funny to have a human around." Emmett shouted even before Carlisle had a chance to ask him.

Everybody chuckled at him.

"Esme?" Carlisle asked her softly, caressing her arm. She was still leaning above the crying baby and staring at her in awe.

"Yes. Of course, yes." she whispered. Her voice was shaky and weak.

"Edward?" my father turned toward me then.

I was confused. Not because I didn't want her to join to our family, but because I wanted it. I wanted it so very badly, it pained. It was a primal need. I _needed_ her to stay here, I _needed_ her stay with _me, _I simply _needed_ her. Hearing her crying broke my heart into a million pieces again and again. I wanted nothing more than just to erase her pain, whatever was it and make her happy, make her laugh. I wanted to protect her, shielding her from the evil of the world. I wanted to be her protector, her guardian and whatever she wanted me to be.

But first and foremost I wanted to see her. No, I _needed_ to see her. To really see her with my own eyes, not just through somebody's mind. And I _needed_ to touch her, to hold her in my own arms. It felt like a powerful tug in my chest. Like a magnetic pull. I didn't have the strength to resist this feeling, I was too weak. I didn't want to resist. My unnecessary breathing became erratic, I started to hyperventilate. I felt my hands and knees start to shake as the feeling in my chest grew stronger and became almost painful. Suddenly, without any premonitory sign or warning, I was imbued with the feeling that an unbreakable chain, which not even a vampire could tear apart, had been wrapped around my long dead heart and it was being pulled from my chest. The chain was pulling me toward that tiny creature with full force. I was aching to be with her. Every muscle in my body ached to hold her.

I grabbed my father's arm tightly, startled by the sudden intensity of the unknown feeling as the baby's crying became louder and more harrowing. A low whimper escaped from my mouth before I could control myself.

I did not know or understand what was happening, nor did I care in that moment. All I cared about was her and the fact that I had to be with her.

"Edward?" I heard Carlisle's voice again, but it sounded so distant, which was odd, I was a vampire after all. There was a hint of worry in his tone. I looked up at him unwillingly and nodded, unable to speak, to form any coherent word.

Jasper gave me an anxious look, my sudden wild and intense emotions confused and frightened him.

"Well, then it's settled. This little girl is the newest member of our family." Carlisle said, still looking at me warily.

"Carlisle? Why is she crying so hard? Is something wrong with her, maybe?" Esme asked panicking.

The baby didn't stop crying even for a second since she started it. She only got louder and louder with each passing second.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Probably it'd be a good idea to give her a full check up. We don't know for how long she's laid on the forest floor alone. She's probably hungry and exhausted. Or she might have gotten hurt." he answered and reached toward Alice to took the little girl from her.

I felt my throat tighten as a horrible feeling, an indescribable fear crept inside me. What if something was wrong with her? I couldn't bear even the mere thought of it. She had to be okay. I needed her to be perfectly fine.

"Wait." Alice said and Carlisle stopped instantly, looking at her confused.

She took a few steps toward me, smiling. The closer she was to me, the bigger the pain in my chest seemed to grow. The aching pull was growing exponentially with every second, and it felt like she couldn't get to me fast enough. I felt my muscles tense again, I was aching to see, touch, feel, hold that little baby girl.

"Edward? Would you like to hold her?" Alice asked sweetly, with a joyous glint in her eyes.

My whole face lit up as she lifted the small bundle toward me. If my heart had still been beating, it would surely have been pounding in my chest wildly. The others watched us, their thoughts and expressions were confused, but they didn't move to stop my sister. I reached toward the baby girl eagerly and cradled my arms carefully. My breath hitched in my throat as Alice placed her into my waiting arms. She fit in the crook of my arm perfectly, like it'd been made for her. I gasped at the feeling of her sudden close proximity, tasting her scent for the first time. I felt myself getting lightheaded with it, as the delicious aroma filled my lungs completely. It was the most heavenly scent I'd ever smelled.

"Oh God. She smells amazing." I breathed, leaning closer to her instinctively.

My whole family froze in shock, except Alice. She just continued grinning widely.

The baby was still crying hard, shutting her eyes tightly, but as soon as she heard my voice, she stopped and opened them. She stared up at me curiously with her tearful chocolate brown orbs, framed by long, dark lashes. I studied her little face carefully, drinking in every single, little detail of it.

On the top of her head there were a lot of soft, messy, brown curls. Her skin was pale, almost as pale as mine, but her cheeks were beautifully rosy. She wrinkled her tiny button nose as she focused on my face and her little, plump, pink mouth formed a perfect shaped 'O'. I smiled down at her and caressed her cheeks gently, wiping away the last drops of her tears.

As I touched her soft, warm skin an electric jolt shot through me and my breath hitched again. Her beautiful eyes widened, her chocolate pools shone. She uttered a small cry and kicked my arm with her tiny foot, smiling back at me happily, then tried to reach toward my hand with her own small ones. After a little struggle with her blanket she managed to pull them free and wrapped her tiny fingers around my index finger tightly, sending another electric jolt through my dead body, straight into my unbeating heart. Her grip was surprisingly strong, especially for a tiny, delicate creature like her. She pulled my finger immediately into her mouth and started chewing and nibbling on it eagerly. Her bright eyes never left mine even for a second. I chuckled at her quietly. She was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.

I was so lost in the little angel in my arms that I completely forgot that we were not alone in the room. My family's laughter pulled me back to the reality. I lifted up my head and looked at them, they were all beaming at us happily.

"What?" I asked, feeling a little confused because of their expressions. Why were they staring at us like this? Their thoughts were not helping at all. But before anybody could answer, I felt a small, hot hand patting the back of my hand impatiently and a tiny cry of protest left the little girl's mouth in my arms. It seemed she didn't like the fact that I wasn't looking at her anymore. I turned back to her and smiled down at her petite figure. Her answering grin made me chuckle again. It was beautiful, a brilliant flash of tiny, perfect white teeth. She wiggled in my arm a little, snuggling closer to my chest and inhaling deeply, then returned chewing my finger, boring her shiny brown eyes into mine again.

"We should give her a name. We can't call her 'baby' forever." Alice said.

Then suddenly hundreds of names started to bombard my mind. But none of them seemed to be good enough. I heard my family arguing about names, although I couldn't really understand their words, their voices were just a low buzz in the background to me. I just continued to stare at the tiny creature in my arms. She was so warm and soft and delicate. Her little fingers curled around my hand tightly, her skin was like blazing fire against mine. She was simply beautiful.

"Bella..." I leaned closer to her and whispered into her cute, little ear. She spat my finger out of her mouth and dropped it from between her little fingers. She reached her hands toward my face then, and pressed her palm against my cheek, while her other hand grabbed a fistful of my hair tightly. I was lost in the wonderful sensation as her hot, little hand came in contact with my skin again. She trailed her fingers up and down on my cheek, mimicking my previous actions, when I'd wiped her tears away. That electric current I'd felt before, now flowed freely between us, filling every cell of my body and woke my long dead heart. It eased the pain, the ache I'd felt before when she'd been in Alice's arms, and filled me with warmth and life. She cooed happily in return and kicked with her little feet again. I couldn't help chuckling at her happiness.

"Do you like it?" I asked her and she squealed, not letting me go.

"...Samantha. We can call her Sam." Emmett's voice rang in my ear. They still couldn't decide.

"No! It's just not perfect. Look at her, she's not a Samantha." Rosalie said, clearly irritated with her husband.

"Okay, then what's your idea, Rosie?" Emmett asked patiently.

"Emma. Let's call her Emma." She said with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Nice, but I still don't feel like it's the perfect name for her." Esme murmured while ran through a list of names in her head, but she couldn't find the perfect one.

Rosalie pouted.

Suddenly Alice started to bounce up and down and squealed happily. Everybody stared at her surprised. Jasper put his hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her. It didn't work completely, but it was enough.

"Edward, it's perfect! It's just... perfect!" she shouted, her eyes sparkled from all the excitement she felt. I smiled up at her and everybody turned toward me curiously. "Tell them, Edward. Just tell them already. Oh, it's perfect!"

"Edward?" Esme asked, smiling at me sweetly.

"Her name is..." I said and looked down at the little angel in my arms. "...Isabella."

The girls gasped as soon as the word left my mouth and the boys just smiled.

"Bella for short." I added, smiling down at the little girl in my arms.

"Oh, Edward. It's really perfect." Esme whispered and came closer to stroke the baby's little head.

Bella didn't seem to notice her touch, or even acknowledge her presence, she was too busy playing with my hair and trying to grab my nose.

"Isabella is a beautiful name. And it seems to fit her perfectly." Carlisle smiled. "Why don't I give her that checkup and you decide about her middle and family name too until then?"

He stepped closer to take Bella in his arms. Everything inside me protested, screamed not to let her go and not to let my father touch her, but I forced myself to lay her carefully into his waiting arms. At the moment our skins weren't touching anymore, the pain I'd felt inside my chest before returned. Though it was a thousand times stronger now. It didn't squeeze only my chest, it crushed my whole body, I'd never felt anything like this before. It was pure agony. My whole body began to shake again, I almost fell to the ground as Carlisle started to walk toward the stairs, cradling Bella in his arms.

But the unbearable pain wasn't the only thing I felt. There was another completely unfamiliar feeling that crushed me the exact same way. I couldn't name it, I only knew that it made me want to tear the baby girl out of Carlisle's hands and rip him into pieces because he ever dared to touch that little angel.

A loud, menacing growl escaped from my lips, before I could control myself. And I would have sprung at him if the growing pain inside me hadn't paralyzed my every muscle. I cried out in agony at the same moment as Bella started to scream again, louder than ever before. Her pain-filled, high pitched cry only increased my own suffering. Every cell in my dead body longed for her. I longed to hold her again, to touch her again, to feel her close to me again. I wanted to protect her from whatever was hurting her this much. I wanted to ease her pain, to calm her, to hear her laugh and squeal again. I _needed_ her close to me. I _needed_ her by my side. How did Carlisle dare to take her away from me? She belonged to _me_, not him. She was_ mine_... _MINE..._

A tiny piece of my mind registered that Jasper gasped suddenly, then moaned loudly. His hands flew to his chest, grabbing it tightly. He could hardly hold up himself, probably my emotions were too much for him. Carlisle stopped in mid-step and turned back toward us. His eyes flashed between Bella, Jasper and me, then widened as shock spread across his face. But I was in too much pain to care about his thoughts. I wanted Bella back into my arms.

The others stared at us confused and worriedly.

"Bella." I choked out, gasping for air and reaching toward her with shaky hands, while my knees buckled and I fell to the ground.

Carlisle rushed back to my side and placed her back into my waiting arms. The trembling of my body calmed immediately as we were touching again. The pain, the longing stopped. That wonderful electricity was humming between us again in a very familiar and soothing way. All those wild, tantalizing emotions calmed in a blink of an eye.

I sat back on my calves completely relaxed and pulled the tiny, fragile baby close to my cold, hard body. Her eyes were closed tightly, her long, dark eyelashes were wet as they brushed against her flushed cheeks. Her tiny brows furrowed and her button nose wrinkled. Her voice was loud and piercing, full of pain. The agonized sound clenched my heart. I leaned down to her, my nose brushed against her soft curls and her crying and screaming stopped instantly.

"Shh... it's okay... everything's okay, baby girl." I murmured into her ear as I rocked her back and forth slowly.

She opened her beautiful chocolate eyes and looked up at me. I wiped her tears away again as she continued staring at me, her dark orbs were full of curiosity and wonder. She reached for my finger again and grabbed it, much tighter than before, like she was trying to hold me there with her. Then she pulled it into her mouth again and started to chew on it, while her eyes stayed locked with mine.

"Okay, what's going on?" Emmett asked confused.

"I don't know." Carlisle whispered, his wide eyes were still flickering between Bella and me. "I need to know what exactly happened just now. What are you feeling now, Edward? What did you feel a moment ago?"

I hesitated, trying to find the right words to tell what had just happened. How could I explain something that I didn't understand either. What had just really happened a moment ago? What those intense, crazy emotions had been and where they'd come from so suddenly?

"I don't really know." I sighed, struggling to find the best way to describe my feelings. "It all started when I heard her heartbeat for the first time. It was simply the most perfect sound I've ever heard. I felt like I've known it in my whole life and that I needed to listen to it forever, that this was the only way I could exist. Then when I first saw her, through Esme's eyes, I couldn't tear my mind away from the picture. She was just so beautiful."

Bella cooed a little, her beautiful baby voice was the cutest sound I'd ever heard, then continued chewing my finger, wrapping her pink, hot, little tongue around it. It sent another jolt of electricity through my body. I closed my eyes for a moment and moaned softly at the incredible feeling. My arm tightened around her tiny body, holding her closer to me and she buried her face into my shirt, gurgling happily.

"Hearing her cry broke me. I couldn't bear it." I continued, my eyes stayed locked on her as she started to play with a button of my shirt, still chewing my finger. "I wanted to ease her pain and make her happy. I wanted to protect her from anything and anybody. Then suddenly I felt a sharp pain and a powerful tugging inside my chest. The need to see her with my own eyes, to touch her, to hold her was so unbearably overwhelming, I couldn't resist. I felt like something was pulling me toward her with such force that nearly crushed me and brought me to my knees. I ached to be with her. I needed to be with her. I'd never felt such strong desire in my whole existence. Not even for blood."

I looked up at my father then. He stared back at me, his eyes were soft but eager to learn more about the situation. Bella spat my finger again and uttered a tiny cry. She kicked with her little feet and reached toward my face, trying to grab my hair again impatiently. I turned my head back to her, my eyes locked with her chocolate orbs and she settled down instantly, smiling brilliantly. I couldn't help smiling back at her.

"And what happened when you touched her and held her for the first time?" Carlisle asked.

I closed my eyes for a minute, recalling the moment when I'd finally taken this little angel into my arms for the very first time. How could I describe what I'd felt then? Where should I begin in the first place? How could I make them understand something like this? There were no words for it.

"Her scent..." I murmured finally. "The most heavenly scent I've ever smelt."

I leaned to nuzzle my nose into Bella's soft curls and kissed her button nose ever so softly. She pressed her tiny palms to my cheeks instantly, her fingers grabbed a fistful of my hair tightly. Her warmth crept right into my cold, hard bones. It was incredible.

"Then when our skins touched, a shockingly intense electric jolt ran through my whole body, taking my breath away. It was like it was coming right from her. And ever since that moment I feel it buzzing between us, soothing the unbearable pain inside me and the frenzied desire and ache to be with her, to hold her that I felt when she was still in Alice's arms. Everything was perfect, in that moment my world seemed to settle into its proper position."

I sighed, staring down at the perfect, tiny creature in my arms, who was still playing with my hair happily, totally obliviously to anything and anybody around her but me. Yes, everything was right in my world, because she became the center of it, she was my whole world now. Nothing mattered anymore. She was the reason I still walked on this planet. She was the reason why I'd gone through the torturous pain of the transformation from a fragile, dying mortal to what I was now. She was the reason of my existence, the reason of everything. She was the answer of my prayers, the one I'd waited for for a century. I understood then that I'd been wrong all along. I'd never been a soulless creature as I'd always thought of myself. Carlisle was right. He'd been right all along. I did have a soul. Only it was broken, half of a whole. Until this moment...

"And after I took her away from you?" Carlisle asked, eager to learn more about whatever was happening between this petite angel and me.

I shuddered at the memory.

"I didn't want to give her to you. Every fiber of my body screamed not to let you take her, not to let you even touch her." automatically I cradled her even closer protectively. "And the moment we weren't touching anymore, the pain started again. Only this time it was a thousand times worse than before. It crushed my whole body with such force that I could barely hold up myself. But it was nothing compared to..." I hesitated, ashamed of my behavior.

"Compared to what?" Esme asked worriedly.

"To the need to tear me apart?" Carlisle asked ever so calmly. He smiled at my shocked expression. "I guess that's why you growled at me that way, so furiously and possessively." he explained. "Because I intruded into your territory."

"What do you mean by 'his territory'?" Rosalie asked, taking a step closer, confused.

"Vampires are very territorial creatures, as you know. And they can become quite aggressive when they feel that someone is intruding into their territory. They do not share anything that really belongs to them. Especially not their mate."

"Mate?" Rosalie raised her eyebrow questioningly. "What are you talking about?"

"Bella is Edward's mate." Alice said in a serious tone.

"You have to be kidding." Rosalie laughed. "She's just a human baby."

Alice scowled at her. But I couldn't concentrate on their argument. Only one word swirled around my head, overshadowing everything else.

_Mate... mate... MATE... MY MATE..._

Then I was bombarded with the most incredible and breathtaking images, one after another.

_…a brown-haired little girl was running across our backyard, laughing and squealing my name, with me shadowing her every step..._

_ …the same little girl was laying in a huge bed, under a thick blanket, listening to a bedtime story and staring up at me with wide, eager eyes..._

_ …a beautiful teenage girl was fidgeting her fingers anxiously under a small table in a nice restaurant, staring at me with those amazing chocolate orbs, rendering me speechless..._

_ …a perfect angel was standing in the middle of a meadow, bathing in the sunlight, while the wind was blowing her mahogany hair around her beautiful heart-shaped face. She smiled a breathtaking smile, waving with her small, delicate hand toward the shadows of the trees. I stepped out of the woods and walked up to her in a slow human pace. My skin threw rainbows in the sunlight, which only seemed to make her smile widen. She took my hands in hers and pulled me down into the soft, green grass with her, then snuggled into my arms comfortably. We stared at each other with a long moment, before I leaned to brush my hard lips against her soft ones. She deepened our kiss eagerly, lifting her hands to bury her fingers into my messy hair. Then something caught my eyes. A small, sparkling thing on third finger of her left hand. A very familiar jewel. The engagement ring of Elizabeth Masen, my biological mother. _

The visions stopped suddenly and I stared at my pixie sister mouth agape, completely shocked by everything she'd just showed me. Images of an amazing future.

"She's Edward's mate, whether you believe it or not, Rosalie." Alice said firmly, rolling her eyes at her. "And you're wrong, because she's not human."


	2. You were born for me

_A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters._

**Chapter 2 – You were born for me**

"What?" Rosalie asked, staring at Alice in disbelief.

"Alice, what do you mean she's not human?" Carlisle stepped closer to me, eying Bella curiously.

Before I could control myself, a low warning growl slipped from my lips, making it very clear to him not to dare to come closer to her. He backed away immediately, lifting up his hands in the air in a peaceful manner, showing me that he meant good.

"Sorry." I sighed.

"It's okay, son. It was my fault." he assured me. "Alice?" he turned to my sister again.

"I had my first vision of Bella a few days ago." she began her explanation. "In this vision I saw a woman roaming in a dark forest alone. She looked deathly pale and really sick. She was so weak, she could barely stand on her own feet, but she managed to stumble to a huge, old tree and hide between its roots from the rough weather. Then it happened."

"What happened?" Esme asked anxiously, grabbing Carlisle's hand.

"It was time and she went into labor. She gave birth to her baby in the pouring rain in a very uncommon, unique way."

"How?" Emmett asked curiously.

"Well, the child practically ripped herself out of her womb." Alice explained.

Esme and Rosalie gasped, not wanting to believe what she said. The others' eyes widened.

I winced slightly as I saw glimpse of the brutal, bloody scene in Alice's mind, then looked down at Bella, who was whimpering quietly, pressing her small face into my shirt, while her tiny fingers clenched the weak fabric so tightly, that she nearly managed to tear holes into it. Her obvious discomfort and agitation made me forget everything else, and I couldn't concentrate on anything else but her. I took her small hand ever so gently in mine, loosening her death-grip on my clothes, and lifted it to my mouth. Slowly, I brushed my lips to her hot little palm, kissing it softly, and she turned her head to look up at me curiously. As I started to pull away, she uttered a tiny cry of protest, pressing her hand firmly to my mouth, staring at me expectantly. She frowned adorably when I did not repeat my action and just stared down at her, completely mesmerized by everything that was this tiny angel. She patted my lips impatiently, demanding, and I chuckled, obeying her instantly. I peppered her delicate palm with soft kisses and she squealed again happily, reaching for me with her other hand too. She raked her fingers through my hair, then grabbed a fistful of it, tugging it roughly. She seemed to like it very much.

"It was Bella?" Carlisle's shocked voice burst our private little bubble, and my gaze flickered to him. He stared at the baby in my arms for a long moment then back at Alice.

"Yes." she nodded. "Her mother was dying, but somehow still had enough strength to lift her out of her body fully and tell her how much she loved her. Then the vision ended."

"Oh, God." Esme covered her mouth with her hand. Her mind was full of thoughts of how much she wished to take care of Bella and give her everything only a mother could, so she would never have to feel the absence of her real mother in her life and the pain over her loss.

"But you had another one too, about finding Bella in the woods." Carlisle said, eager to find out more.

Alice nodded. "I knew exactly the moment of her birth, because ever since then, I see flashes after flashes of her. And the weirdest thing of all, that these visions seemed to be clearer and more certain than any other before. It was like they weren't based on any decisions, simply just bound to happen with such certainty like nothing else in life.

"I knew that I had to find her because she's the last, missing part of our family. Her life is completely tied to us, especially to Edward. I saw glimpse of what type of bond he and Bella would share, it's like nothing else before. It's a thousand times stronger than the bond between vampire mates, or the one the werewolves share with their own mates. I don't know why is that, though, the visions have not given any explanation about it." she frowned at the end. She hated not to know something, especially something very important.

"Maybe it's because she's not a vampire." Carlisle said thoughtfully. "And what about her mother? Did you find her too?"

"No." Alice shook her head. "Bella managed to struggle through the underbrush quite far away from the scene of her violent birth, despite the wild storm. She was alone when we found her and we didn't waste any time to search for her mother. We hurried back here with her. I wanted her to be safe and..."

"Wait!" Emmett cut her off, lifting up his hand as a sign to stop her. "Did you just say she'd struggled through the underbrush? As a newborn baby?" he raised his eyebrow in disbelief. "Are you trying to say that she was born only a few days ago?"

"She was born exactly three days ago." Alice nodded seriously.

"Impossible," Jasper breathed, staring at the baby in my arms. He obviously knew nothing about Bella and these strange, fateful visions of his own wife. I briefly wondered why Alice hadn't told him about them as soon as she'd seen them, as usual.

"She grows at an outstanding rate, much rapidly than a normal human baby." Alice continued.

"We can see that." Rosalie said in awe, also staring at Bella with wide eyes. "She looks like she's weeks old, if not more."

"But what will happen to her?" Esme asked worriedly. I listened to her mind doing the math in a flash. "With the way she is growing..."

"It's going to slow with time, then stop eventually after about seven years, when she's fully matured. After that she's not going to change anymore." Alice assured her, before she or any of us would have had any chance to start panic. "She's immortal, like us."

I looked down at Bella again, who was completely occupied with pressing her hand to my mouth firmly, still, enjoying the way I puckered my lips against her hot palm and kissed it every now and then. She did not pay any attention to the conversation around her anymore.

"Incredible." Carlisle breathed in complete awe.

"Yes, it is." Rosalie nodded. "But what is she exactly? You haven't told it to us yet."

"Her mother was obviously human, so she is part human." Alice said. "I guess that's why she is warm-blooded and has a heartbeat..."

"Though it seems to run a little bit faster than human's... and her temperature seems to be a little bit hotter than usual, too. " Carlisle noted.

"According to the visions, it's perfectly normal for her." Alice nodded in agreement. "And she sleeps and can eat human food too." she smiled at me sweetly and I saw a repeat of the vision of Bella and me in the restaurant in her mind. "Though it's not what she prefers to eat."

"Then what does she eat?" Esme asked with a look of pure wonder on her face.

"Well, 'eat' is not the best word for it. 'Drink' would be a better phrase." Alice explained with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's definitely something she inherited from her father."

"What are you talking about?" Emmett furrowed his brows.

I lifted my head, turning my attention fully toward my sister for the first time since she had started her explanation about Bella, on which I'd only had half an ear until now. Of course, I had heard everything about Bella's birth and how she'd had to struggle through the first few days of her life, I'd seen the visions through Alice's mind as she'd been talking about it, confirming her every word, but surprisingly I could not bring myself to feel too upset over all these things. Not with this little angel laying safely in my arms, feeling this blissful euphoria as the electricity pulsed around us intensely. Whatever had happened to her or me before the moment Alice had laid her into my arms did not matter anymore. Our pasts meant nothing.

"Alice," I breathed.

She smiled again, showing another vision of Bella and me.

_We were somewhere in the forest, running through the trees in an inhumanly fast speed, holding hands. Then suddenly she jumped and landed gracefully on the back of a huge mountain lion, tackling him to the ground, taking him by surprise. Her petite arms wrapped around his neck __and she broke it with one swift movement. Then she sank her pearly white teeth into the animal and moaned softly as the sweet, warm blood flowed down her throat. She was a vision, so stunningly beautiful._

"She's... half-vampire?" I asked in complete, utter shock. The word sounded so weird, so impossible. Yet, I held the very tiny, very fragile and even more precious proof of it.

"It seems so." Alice nodded, flashing me a wide, toothy grin.

"What?"

"What?"

What? What? What?

What?

It shocked the others too.

"Alice, darling, are you sure of this?" Jasper asked in disbelief, his eyes flashed between his wife and the baby.

"I'm absolutely sure, Jasper." she flashed her a wide, radiant smile. "The visions showed it very clearly. There is absolutely no doubt."

"It's not possible." Rosalie frowned, shaking her head incredulously. "Vampires can't have children."

"No, they can't." Alice nodded, confusing everybody. "Mostly because female vampires can't conceive a child. Their bodies are frozen, unable to change. They have no monthly cycle, they can't bear a child - a living, growing creature. But what about the males? What if male vampires can father children? What if everybody thinks that they can't because their mates can't? What would happen if, for once, a male vampire chose a human as a partner, even for one occasion?" she raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Well, Bella is the answer to that question."

"Oh, God." Esme gasped.

"A half-human and half-vampire child... Fascinating..." Carlisle whispered, trying to wrap his mind around this impossibility.

Yet, none of us could deny the truth of Alice's words. Bella was really the real, living, breathing proof of them. She was obviously more than human. She was a true miracle, a perfect combination of the two races.

"Your visions showed this explanation too?" Rosalie asked, furrowing her brows still a bit sceptically.

"Of course." Alice nodded. "I saw that Carlisle would get curious, naturally, and do some research about it. I also saw what results he would come up with in the end. They're quite shocking, but this doesn't change the fact that they're true."

Rosalie heaved a deep sigh then nodded. It wasn't an easy thing for her to accept right away this newfound knowledge about our own kind.

"What did she inherit from her father exactly?" Jasper asked warily.

"Well, she's incredibly beautiful, as you all can see. Inhumanly so." Alice smiled. "And it will only intensify as she grows." she added, showing me her earlier vision of a fully matured Bella and me kissing in a beautiful meadow.

I grinned at the magical image and leaned to press a soft kiss to the cute, little nose of my tiny Bella. She giggled happily, it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard, a perfect, high-pitched peal of wind chimes.

The others chuckled, staring at her with the most loving expression.

"Please continue, Alice." Carlisle asked.

"She has smooth, flawless skin, which is just as impenetrable as ours, even now, though unlike ours it only glows slightly in the sunlight."

"Really?" Esme smiled.

Alice nodded, then continued. "She prefers drinking blood to human food. She's going to hunt like us when she's old enough."

"Won't it be too dangerous for her?" Rosalie asked worriedly.

"Absolutely not." Alice shook her head. "She's inhumanly strong and fast. Almost as much as us. And her senses are as sharp as ours."

"Wow, cool!" Emmett pumped his fist in the air, grinning widely. "She's going to be awesome."

"She is already a perfection." I smiled down at Bella, who was playing with my fingers, trying to take them into her mouth. I couldn't help but notice that she was trying to touch as much of my bare skin as possible.

"Oh, man, you're already smitten." Emmett snickered, trying to tease me, but I couldn't care less about his teasing in that moment.

"She has a perfect memory, too, so watch your big mouth, Emmett." Alice giggled. "And I warn you, that very soon she's going to be just as possessive and protective of Edward as he is of her already."

Emmett rolled his eyes, but before he could make any other comment, Carlisle stepped in.

"Okay, kids. It's getting late and I think that someone is sleepy and should get ready for bed." he smiled at Bella, who was fighting a big yawn, snuggling closer to my chest. She was so adorable.

"I think she needs a nice, warm bath." Esme said stepping closer to me.

Suddenly, I saw red and backed away from her immediately, growling at her warningly not to come anywhere near us, while I cradled my Bella tighter to me.

"Esme, stop!" Alice shouted and our mother stopped dead in her tracks, looking at her then at me with wide, frightened eyes.

"We must not touch Bella." Alice said in a serious tone.

"What?" Rosalie's eyes flashed furiously, her thoughts dripped with anger and jealousy.

"Rose, don't start this." Alice glared at her. "I told you that their bond was very special. I believe that the visions showed only a small part of it and there's much more under the surface, which maybe only time will tell. The most certain thing I know is that he won't let any of us near Bella. And it's the same with Edward. We must not touch him either."

"You have to be kidding." Rosalie shook her head angrily. In her mind I saw images of her holding, feeding and rocking Bella to sleep.

I instantly took back a few more steps, putting more distance between her and Bella, growling at my sister.

"No, I'm not kidding." Alice said firmly. "And if you love Bella and Edward, you won't do otherwise. Believe me, if anybody made a move to touch any of them, it would send them into a frenzy. It would only hurt both of them."

"Nobody will touch them." Carlisle cut off any further argument.

To my great surprise his short, simple order brought me a huge relief and eased the great amount of tension inside me, I hadn't even realized I had until then. I knew without any doubt that nobody would ever dare to go against his words.

"We will figure this out," he continued. "but right now we should take care of Bella's needs. She needs a bath and to eat something. Then maybe I should do that checkup, just in case... with Edward's assistance of course." he added quickly when I bared my teeth at him menacingly. "I will guide you and you'll do the job, is that okay?"

I nodded, sighing frustrated.

"Alright." he nodded, as well. "Esme, would you prepare that nice, warm bath to this very sleepy baby girl?"

"Of course." she smiled down at Bella, who was rubbing her face into my shirt sleepily, clenching my fingers tightly in her tiny ones.

"I'll help." Alice chirped, bouncing happily. "I've already bought everything she might need right now. And we can go shopping some more tomorrow." she clapped her hands excitedly.

I shook my head at her, chuckling as I watched her memories of a recent shopping trip in what seemed like every baby shop of the area. I didn't know what else she could buy tomorrow. She seemed to have bought already every possible thing a baby could ever need.

"Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper, would you mind go out and hunt for Bella? If she really prefers blood to human food, we have to be prepared and stock up some blood for her, at least until she's old enough to hunt herself."

They nodded in unison and darted out of the room to prepare for this hunting trip.

Carlisle then turned back toward me and smiled. "Edward? Shall we?" he gestured toward the stairs.

I nodded and walked slowly up to my room, where I heard my mother and sister moving around and getting ready that bath for Bella. On the third floor we parted and he disappeared into his office to prepare to examine Bella after we finished.

"Hey, baby girl." I whispered to my little angel as I laid her down carefully on my leather couch. "How about a nice bath? We really should figure out what we have under all that dirt, don't you think?"

Bella watched me intently with her big chocolate brown eyes, not even blinking. She clenched one of my hands firmly, not letting me go anywhere, while I unwrapped her from the dirty baby blanket with my other one. She was completely naked under it, though her whole body was covered in dirt and some dried blood that the rain hadn't managed to wash off. She was very small and thin, such a delicate, little creature. I watched her small feet fascinated, unable to stop myself counting her tiny toes. She squealed happily when I leaned to press a soft, loving kiss to her sole. I laughed.

"We're ready." Alice said walking out of my bathroom along with Esme.

"Okay." I said and tried to pull my hand out of Bella's grasp. She immediately started to squirm, her eyes widened with panic. "Shh, angel. I'm not going anywhere." I hushed her softly, trying to soothe her fears. "Would you, please, let go of me for a brief moment and let me take you into my arms?"

She stared at me for a long moment with a very serious expression on her sweet baby face, her eyes shone with so much intelligence that I had absolutely no doubt that she understood my every word. Then with a soft sigh she lifted her arms up, reaching for me, her little hands grasping into fists again and again. I brushed my fingertips along her arms, then scooped her up ever so gently into my arms, like she was made of glass, and held her small body close to mine. She didn't seem to have any difficulty to support her own torso, much to my surprise and I couldn't help smiling down at her proudly and cradling her closer. Her intense warmth seeped through my shirt and skin, straight to my bones. She rested her head against my chest as I carried her into my bathroom, with Esme and Alice in tow.

As soon as we entered the room, I saw the small, purple baby bath, resting on top of the counter, surrounded by everything I'd need to get Bella clean - a soft bath sponge, bodywash, baby shampoo and a huge, clean, fluffy, white towel to wrap her into after we finished. Esme and Alice had already filled the little tub with hot water, adding some bubble bath to it too. Its scent filled the room completely and Bella lifted her head slightly, sniffing the air curiously.

"Okay, angel. Don't get frightened." I murmured, pressing my lips to her temple softly, then placed her carefully into the tub.

I watched as her beautiful chocolate eyes widened as I lowered her into the water. She did not seemed frightened, rather fascinated by the bubbles and the sudden warmth that enveloped her as I sat her down. Immediately, she pointed her tiny index finger to the large amounts of bubbles all around her, cooing adorably, then looked up at me expectantly.

"Do you like the bubbles?" I smiled down at her and reached to gather some into my hand, while rested the other on her back, holding her small body and carefully avoiding to break our contact.

Her lips curved up into a soft smile and she leaned slightly forward to press her little face into my palm. When she pulled back, her cheeks, her chin, her tiny nose and even her rosy lips were completely covered with bubbles. Her wonderful baby laugh filled the room then, and my heart swelled at the sound of it. It was truly magical. She, then, eagerly pushed her little fist into the big mound of bubbles and laughed again when she pulled her hand out and it was covered with them. Before I could stop her, she pushed her fingers into her mouth, tasting the shiny bubbles she managed to capture. Almost instantly, she spat her fingers out, frowning and wrinkling her cute nose in pure disgust. I chuckled at her expression, along with Alice and Esme, who both found Bella absolutely fascinating.

"Don't eat them, love." I stroked her little cheek tenderly. "Let's wash all the dirt off you, then we'll find you something more delicious to eat."

I grabbed the sponge and dipped it into the water to wet it. Then I tried to quickly reach for the bodywash with my other hand, but as soon as our skins weren't touching anymore, Bella let out a loud whimper and a low, pained hiss escaped my own lips, before I could control myself.

"Edward?" Esme asked worriedly, taking a step closer to us. Much to my relief Alice grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could place her hand on my arm.

"We're okay, Esme." I assured her, rubbing Bella's back soothingly in the meanwhile. "I just thought I could manage it... but the pain was just too intense." I struggled to give my mother and sister some sort of explanation about what had just happened.

Bella lifted her hand and rested it on my forearm digging her tiny fingers into my skin. She cooed a little, staring up at me intensely.

"Don't worry, baby girl." I leaned to kiss her soft forehead. "I won't do it again."

"Do you need your father?" Esme asked and the desperation rang very clearly both in her voice and in her mind. She absolutely loathed to see any of her children in any kind of pain and she was dying to help somehow.

"No." I shook my head. "Everything's okay." I gave her a soft smile.

"It's really going to be fine." Alice squeezed her arm gently. "This side of their connection is going to ease up with time. It's pretty intense now because everything is so new to both of them and because Bella is so young."

"So we just have to wait?" Esme sighed, frowning.

"Yes." Alice nodded. "It's only a matter of time." she smiled. "Though even then they won't be able to stay away from each other for long. But they will be able to cope with the separation and their pain will become much more tolerable."

"Tolerable?" Esme furrowed her brows. "So they will still be in pain when they're apart?" she bit her lip anxiously.

"According to the visions, yes." Alice looked at her and then at me apologetically. "It will lessen to a dull ache, but they will still be in pain. But it will really be manageable."

Esme's frown deepened.

"Let's just don't worry about it right now." I said. "Alice would you help me, please?"

I reached the sponge out to her to pour some bodywash on it and she did just that, bouncing excitedly. Bella watched our every movement curiously and smiled softly at Alice, who was grinning ear to ear now. Then she turned her attention to Esme, who walked up to us and leaned over the side of the tub, keeping her distance carefully. She did not want to risk accidentally touching any of us and causing unnecessary pain. She began to hum a soft, gentle tune, earning a shy smile from Bella. When she splashed the water a little, moving the bubbles around, my angel laughed and mimicked her movements.

"She's so sweet." Alice smiled. _She's your perfect much, Edward._

"Yes, she is." I nodded, answering to both her spoken words and thoughts.

I washed every inch of Bella's small body while Esme entertained her and Alice bounced around us, making photos in every minute with Jasper's camera. The water slowly turned into muddy brown as I washed all the dirt and blood off, and we needed to change it twice before Bella was finally clean from the top of her head to her cute, little toes.

Fortunately, she did not protest when I lifted her out of the tub, though she'd enjoyed playing among the bubbles with Esme very much. She sat patiently, staring at me the whole time, while I dried her, then carefully brushed her lovely hair, which was now shiny and fragrant and so very soft, that all I wanted to do was to bury my face into it and stay like that forever. It fell in soft waves to her little shoulders and she truly looked like an angel. It was very hard to believe that she was really here and she was mine.

"Take her to your father." Esme smiled at us lovingly. She was overjoyed that I finally found my mate, even though she was only a baby now. "We'll clean up the bathroom.

"Thanks, Esme."

_Your welcome. I'm so happy for you, son. You deserve her. She truly is a magnificent little creature._

"She is." I agreed.

I didn't bother to dress Bella just yet, figuring that I would just have to undress her again so Carlisle could examine her. I only wrapped her into a soft, dry towel, gathered her into my arms again then carried her to my father's office. He was waiting for us already, patiently.

"Come in, Edward." he called out when I reached his door. "Well, hello, little one." he smiled at Bella as I put her down onto a blanket, he'd prepared for her. _She's even more beautiful now. I heard she enjoyed her bath. _

I couldn't help but smile at his thoughts. "Very much so. I think she just fell in love with Esme. They had a very good time playing and laughing together."

_I'm sure the feeling is mutual. My Esme seemed so happy downstairs when she laid her eyes on Bella._

"She loves her very much, already." I agreed. "I'm sorry she can't touch Bella. I know just how much she wants to hold her and fondle her."

Bella uttered a tiny cry of protest then, patting the back of my hand impatiently, which I rested on her small torso.

Suddenly, my mind was bombarded with very vivid pictures. They reminded me of Alice's visions, though they did not show the future but - what seemed like - the past. I saw Carlisle and myself standing in his office, talking – or at least I spoke while he remained silent, talking to me only in his thoughts. It was a replay of what had just happened a minute ago, a memory like vision. I could feel the undertone of it, confusion and curiosity.

My head whipped toward Bella and I stared down at her in amazement. Never until this moment had I heard the voice of her brilliant mind, but I couldn't have brought myself to care about it for all the world before. I'd just found her too incredible, too fascinating to bother about it. It'd been just one of all the wonderful, breathtaking things about her, that made her so unique.

But now, I could hear her so very clearly in my head. The soft, gentle tone of her mind sounded so soothing, so familiar – much more familiar than the mental voices of any members of my family. I was sure, that I could recognize it among a thousand others. I felt like it was a part of me, like she was a part of me.

"I can hear you, baby girl." I whispered in complete awe and she flashed me a blinding smile.

"Edward?" Carlisle's anxious voice broke through my daze. "What's happening, son?"

He reached for me, but stopped himself before he could've touched me.

_You're trembling. What's going on? _

"I'm fine, Carlisle." I choked out. "It's just... Bella."

I gathered my small angel into my arms again and held her close, keeping the towel tightly around her. She wrapped her little arms around my neck and pressed her face into the crook of my neck happily. Her thoughts showed me just how much she loved to be in my arms and how much she enjoyed the electricity buzzing between us so intensely. She focused her attention on me now, completely ignoring everything and everybody else around her. My face floated in her mind as she envisioned my every feature. She loved the shape of my nose and the arch of my lips, and she was fascinated with my eyes.

"What about Bella?" Carlisle asked, his eyes scanned Bella's body for anything out of ordinary.

"I can hear her." I sighed as Bella snuggled even closer to me and pressed her soft, rosy lips to my neck, giving me a small peck. I felt every single muscle in my body relax. I'd never felt so perfectly calm before, not as a human and definitely not as a vampire. "Her mind has been silent to me before, but now I can hear her thoughts. It's... so different."

"Different? How? And what do you mean her mind has been silent before?" Carlisle asked eagerly.

"It's so intense." I explained, rubbing Bella's back softly, while she nuzzled her face into my neck. "Her thoughts are so... I feel like they were a part of me... Her mental voice rings so strongly and clearly in my head..."

I closed my eyes, focusing on my beautiful Bella's pleasant thoughts. She was enjoying herself very much in the moment, concentrating on the tiny electric sparks that bounced between us.

_Edward?_

"It's so much different than when I hear anyone else." I answered to Carlisle's anxious thoughts. "I don't know if I can explain it. I can hear your mind and everybody else's in the house just as clearly as before. But Bella's... her thoughts are like a bright, brilliant blaze among a sea of dull glimmers. It's like I could not only hear the voice of her mind but her soul as well."

_And you said you couldn't hear her before?_

Carlisle raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"No, I couldn't." I shook my head. "It was like her mind would've been locked then. And now she's just opened it for me." I explained. "She seemed to notice we were talking to each other, but you did not say anything out loud. She wondered about what was happening."

"And she seemed to figure it out." Carlisle chuckled and shook his head in amazement. "She understood that you could get my words out of my head. So she opened her own mind to you, so you could hear her too."

Bella's thoughts approved his theory. As I reached out to her mind with my own, I could feel an elastic sheet, thin but impenetrable without doubt, around her. And there was another one, which she was pushing away from her mind right now, allowing me to hear her.

"She's a shield." I breathed in awe and Bella lifted her head a little to look up at me. Her eyes were wide and curious. She repeated what I'd just said in her head, wondering about my amazed expression. Pure curiosity seeped through her thoughts.

I smiled at her and brushed my fingertips along her soft, pink cheek, which instantly turned crimson. She was such a curious little creature.

"A shield..." Carlisle whispered. "She's a protector?"

"She definitely can protect herself. At least her mind." I answered and tightened my arms around Bella's petite body. The relief I felt over this fact flooded my whole body, making me tremble again.

"We have time to figure everything out." Carlisle nodded. "But not tonight. Let's just do this quick examination now. And we'll talk about everything else tomorrow. The answers can wait for now."

"Okay."

"Put her down onto the blanket." he asked.

I placed Bella back down onto the blanket and unwrapped the towel from around her. Following Carlisle's instructions, I measured her both with a measuring tape and a scale. She was a bit small and underweight too, which made me worried.

_ It's probably because she hasn't eaten much since her birth, Edward. Calm down. I'm sure she will catch up very quickly once we start to feed her regularly. _

Carlisle assured me instantly. I nodded to him.

Then I measured her blood pressure while he checked her heartbeat and her breathing and wrote everything down. Finally, I measured her temperature with a thermometer.

Bella waited patiently for us to finish with everything. She even stretched out and stayed motionless when I asked her. Her thoughts told me just how much she wished to help me. I couldn't help chuckling at her eagerness.

"She's perfectly healthy." Carlisle said. "Every result seems normal. Well normal for a half-human and half-vampire little girl." he chuckled. "You can dress her now then feed her. I'm sure she's very hungry."

Without a word I scooped Bella up into my arms. "Thank you, Carlisle."

"Your welcome." he smiled.

I turned to leave then, but he called out to me.

"Edward,"

I looked back at him, already knowing what he was going to say.

"I'm happy for you, son. She really is an amazing creature and you absolutely deserve her."

"Thanks, dad." I nodded a bit sheepishly then walked out of his office, chuckling all the way back to my room at the intense blush that flooded Bella's cheeks at my father's compliment.

_We brought up your bed from the basement and put the bedclothes on it already, while you were with Carlisle. Now that Bella is going to live with you, you're going to need a bed, she can't just sleep on your couch. _"And I also put out some clothes for her." Alice finished her little speech out loud, bouncing down the hall beside me.

"I hope something comfortable to sleep in." I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Of course, Edward." she rolled her eyes dramatically. "I love her too, you know."

"Yeah, I know that." I nodded. It was clear in her thoughts that she loved Bella very much already. "But you just don't seem to be able to control yourself when it comes to clothes and dressing someone up."

She snorted at that, very unladylike. "Please, dear brother, give me some credit now..."

Bella's soft giggle cut off our little banter. She was watching our exchange curiously, amusement danced in her chocolate orbs.

_She's so cute. _Alice sighed in her head. I nodded silently in agreement.

"Would you bring her dinner up here while I dress her?" I asked her as we stepped into my room – now Bella's and my room, _our_ room. I smiled at the thought.

"Of course." Alice grinned.

"Thanks, Alice." I looked at her for a long moment. I knew that she understood just how much I was thanking her.

_Your very welcome, brother, _she laughed, skipping out of the room.

"Come on, baby girl. Let's see what our crazy sister put out for you." I murmured to Bella, who patted my cheek happily.

_I heard that, Edward._

Alice's voice rang in my head and I chuckled.

With Bella still in my arms, I walked to the south wall of the room, which had been entirely replaced with glass, and shut the thick draperies tightly. Bella wiggled and twisted in my arms a little, looking around the room curiously. From her thoughts I knew that her sight was as perfect as mine, despite the darkness I'd created just a moment ago.

"Do you like what you see?" I asked her as I laid her gently onto the bed, which now dominated my room.

She flashed me a breathtaking smile and grabbed my hand, that I rested on her tummy. She started to play with my fingers, much like she'd done it downstairs. Her thoughts showed me just how much she liked the room, though the reason behind it surprised me and made me grin widely. She did not like it because of the fancy furniture - though she thought that the bed was pretty – or the design. She liked it because she understood that it was something that we shared together and it made her happy.

"Yes, baby girl. It's _ours_." I smiled down at her, watching her intensely, and she kicked her small feet, grinning up at me. "And now I really should dress you. Will you help me just a little bit?" I asked her playfully as I knelt down at the foot of the bed and kissed along her tiny sole. Her happy, high-pitched giggle filled the room and I heard the others in the house laughing at the beautiful sound. They truly thought that our family was blessed with this perfect, little angel and I couldn't agree more.

Bella pressed her tiny foot to my lips, resting the other against my neck. She stared at me expectantly and I smiled against her blazing skin. I kissed her sole again, taking her cute, little toes into my mouth, nibbling on them playfully, which brought another fit of giggle from her.

While we were playing, I reached for the clothes Alice had put out for Bella. True to her promise, she had not go overboard with them. She'd chosen two piece cotton pajamas with a long sleeved top and pants, both in soft purple color. They were quite simple and seemed really comfortable to sleep in. I couldn't help but chuckle at the matching tiny baby panties, they were just too cute.

First, I put the panties on Bella, chuckling when she squealed when I lifted her small bottom to pull them on properly. Then I repeated the process with her pajama pants too, earning the same reaction from her. I knew that my family – or at least those who were at home, Carlisle Esme and Alice – gathered into the room quietly and was watching us, but I could not care about it. I was too lost in our own little bubble, and so was Bella. I set her up then and pulled the top over her little head and arms, very careful not to break our connection. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but I managed in the end.

"Here's her dinner." Alice said as I lifted my Bella into my arms again.

She reached a small metal cup out to me and I took it from her. It was full of animal blood.

"Okay, Sweetheart. It's dinner time." I maneuvered Bella carefully in my arm so she could drink comfortably, before I lifted the cup to her lips. She looked up at me curiously and sniffed the crimson liquid. "Drink, love. You'll love it, I promise." I smiled at her encouragingly.

She took a careful sip first, then before long she gulped down the blood eagerly. She rested her small hands on top of mine as I held the cup for her, her tiny fingers wrapped around mine in a death grip.

When she finished, she pushed the empty cup away and looked up at me adorably, cooing softly.

"Does it mean that someone is still hungry?" Esme asked, staring down at Bella lovingly.

"Yes." I chuckled.

"I bring more." she smiled and took the cup from me.

She was gone then back in a flash, and Bella finished her second cup of blood even quicker.

"More?" Esme raised her eyebrow questioningly when the empty cup was in her hand again.

I looked down at the baby in my arms. Bella snuggled closer to me and buried her head into my chest.

"She's full now. Thank you, Esme." I said softly.

"Your welcome." she smiled widely. "You should lay down with her and let her sleep." she said quietly, not wanting to disturb Bella, who was half asleep already.

I nodded to her and climbed carefully into the bed, under the cover. I tried to lay Bella down beside me, so she could sleep on the soft sheets instead of my hard chest, but she had none of it. She protested loudly, both out loud and in her thoughts. She showed me very clearly that she wanted to sleep on my chest, while I was holding her, and of course I simply couldn't deny her wish. So I laid down on my back and placed on top of me. She squirmed a little until she get herself comfortable against me, then I wrapped my arms around her small body and started to rub her back, hoping to lull her into a deep, sweet sleep.

_Edward?_ I heard Carlisle's voice just then and turned my head slightly toward him to let him know that I was listening. _Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper went out to gather more blood for Bella after they brought home some for her for dinner. And we're heading out with your sister and mother to search for the body of Bella's mother. We shouldn't leave her just out in the woods. We should give her a proper funeral._

I nodded in agreement. Carlisle was right. That poor woman deserve that much. She had given us, especially me, so much. She'd given birth to this beautiful angel in my arms, my mate. We should honor her for it forever.

_We'll all be back around dawn. _

My family left the room quickly, their thoughts died off slowly as they ran into the forest and got further and further from the house. Bella fell asleep in my arms, her shield snapped back into place, protecting and blocking her mind again. And it was complete silence around me, but for the first time since I'd opened my eyes for my new life, I wasn't alone.


	3. What should we do now?

_A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. _

**Chapter 3 – What should we do now?**

I spent the whole night listening to my Bella's soft breathing and unique heartbeat as she slept peacefully on my chest. Her small body rose and fell rhythmically with every breath I took and it seemed to lull her into an even deeper and more peaceful sleep. She was the most fascinating site I'd ever seen in my whole existence. I kept one of my hands on her back, rubbing small circles on it tenderly, while I held her bare foot with the other, enjoying the way the electricity flowed between our skins so freely. I brushed my fingertips along her tiny toes again and again, relishing their unbelievable softness and warmth, counting them time to time.

So much questions swirled in my head, that I had no answer to, just yet. So much thing that I did not know yet. For example, for how long would our bond be this so very intense that we couldn't even let each other go for a brief second without both of us experiencing excruciating pain? Or what would happen to us when I'd have to hunt? Because eventually my thirst would grow painful and unavoidable, but how could I take my delicate, little Bella into the wilderness while she was still so young and so unbelievably tiny. And Alice had said that her visions had showed only a small part of our bond, that there was so much more under the surface. But how much more exactly stayed still hidden? And what kind of things might they be? Was not knowing any more details about it going to cause more pain to us, like when Carlisle had taken Bella away from me, not aware of the consequences of his actions?

I shuddered at the painful memory and tightened my hold around Bella's petite body.

Then there were the others, especially Rosalie, who were all just dying to spend time with Bella and bond with her. But how could it be really possible for them to become real close to this angel, if they couldn't even touch her? I wanted Bella to be a part of our family so much, I wanted her to have a loving mother and father, and I wanted to share my crazy siblings with her. But how could it happen? And how long Rose would accept and tolerate the situation before she would explode finally? I'd heard in her thoughts in the afternoon just how much she wanted to take care of Bella, how much she wanted to become a mother figure to her. I was just afraid that in the end she would somehow hurt Bella in her selfishness. And to be completely honest, I would rather Bella have Esme as her mother. Her loving, caring, selfless nature made her the perfect mother any child could dream of having. I knew she would be a wonderful example to my Bella, just like Carlisle would be a great father to her. I wanted her to grow up in a normal family. Well, as normal as a family of strong-willed, often short tempered and very strongly independent vampires could be.

_We'll be home in ten minutes, Edward._ _Bella will be up in three minutes and eighteen seconds. _

I heard Alice's mental voice suddenly, as she entered my hearing range, along with Esme and Carlisle. Their thoughts filled my mind, breaking my little piece of heaven I'd been experiencing with Bella until that moment. Through my mother's and sister's eyes, I could see my father carrying the torn, very bruised body of a young woman. The sight of her was really shocking and frightening, even for me. I knew perfectly well what Bella's birth had done to her, but what more could she have gone through before that violent moment? Her injuries left absolutely no doubt about just how very dangerous and painful this whole pregnancy must have been. What kind of monster could force something like this upon a fragile, innocent woman? And how could he have abandoned such a tiny, fragile, helpless creature - his own child? My gratitude for that unknown woman had only grown in the past few minutes, while I couldn't feel anything but contempt and wild fury toward that unknown, mysterious vampire. If I ever met him, I was going to tear him apart and burn the pieces to ashes, making his death as painful as possible.

Just then, interrupting my raging thoughts, Bella's heartbeat picked up and her slow, even breathing quickened. My mind went completely blank and my breath hitched in my throat as I waited patiently for her to stir and open her beautiful, chocolate brown eyes. I watched as one of her tiny fists gripped my shirt and she lifted her head slightly from my chest. She looked around confused first, then turned toward me. Our gazes met and she gave me a very sleepy but even more beautiful smile.

"Hey there, angel." I smiled back at her and stroked her cheek softly, brushing her messy, mahogany locks – which were noticeably longer now then the night before - out of her hot, little face.

She blushed a delicate shade of pink and buried her face back into my chest shyly.

"Come on, baby girl. Don't hide your beautiful face from me." I rubbed her back lovingly.

She only pressed her little foot into my palm more firmly in response, and inhaled deeply, burying her nose into the hole between two buttons of my shirt, which she just managed to detect. Then she sighed, pleased with her new discovery, breathing in as much of my scent as her small lungs were capable of. I just watched her fascinated, rendered absolutely speechless.

"Good morning, Sunshine." Alice bounced into the room a few minutes later, smiling brightly.

Bella lifted her small head again at her voice and looked at her curiously and expectantly. Her little, thin arms managed to support her just fine as she pushed her upper body up as well to get a better look of my overexcited sister. Her fingers clenched my shirt tightly while they stared at each other silently. With one hand I stroked her tiny, delicate fist, wondering how could something so tiny and fragile muster up such strength, while I snaked the other under the top of her pajamas and rubbed soothing circles on her bare back. She gurgled softly, still sleepily. Then she yawned, her plump, rosy lips stretched into a perfect O, and dropped her head back to my chest, nuzzling her face into my shirt again. She obviously didn't find Alice as interesting as me, which I couldn't help grinning about, widely.

_She's so adorable._ Alice sighed softly, staring at the enchanting creature in my arms.

"She is." I breathed, nodding in agreement.

"Let's dress her up." She started bouncing up and down excitedly again.

I rolled my eyes.

"Let her wake up properly, first." I whispered, not wanting to startle Bella, who wiggled on top of me, burying herself further against me. I wrapped the blanket tighter around her petite form, just enjoying her close proximity. Her warmth radiated from her small body in huge, shocking waves.

"The others will be back in half an hour too." Alice skipped closer and sat down gracefully on the edge of the bed.

My whole body tensed up instantly, as her closeness stirred my deepest, most primal instincts. Everything inside me was screaming to just keep my Bella away from any threat – which I felt my sister was right now -, to guard and protect her even more now that she was in a more vulnerable state, laying half-asleep on top of me, snuggled to my body, completely oblivious to the world. I lifted her higher on my chest and pulled the cover over her head, shielding her tiny body from my sister's wide, eager, prying eyes. And with a soft sigh, Bella pressed her sweet little face into the crook of my neck, her petite arm encircled my neck tightly. My skin burned under her tiny palm.

_Too close?_ Alice asked, frowning, then crawled further away from us, giving us more space.

I felt myself relax.

"Sorry." I sighed and smiled at her apologetically.

"Don't. It's not your fault. And you better get used to it, because it's going to happen a lot in the near future." She said sympathetically.

"It's just so confusing, you know." I rubbed my face with one hand, while the other still rested on my angel's small back. "All these new, unfamiliar emotions... they're so strong, so intense... I can barely control myself anymore. I feel like a newborn all over again. I don't know what's going to happen, how I'm going to react to certain things and I feel guilty for keeping her from all of you. Every one of you deserves to be a part of her life, to be her family..."

"But we _are_ her family, Edward." She smiled at me reassuringly. "She will know it, don't worry about this, I've already seen it. Maybe right now we can't touch her or hold her or even spend some time with her alone to bond with her properly, without you hovering over her, but it won't be this way forever. As she grows and becomes stronger, more independent and less vulnerable, this fierce need to be with her and protect her in every second of every day will ease up a little bit. Someday soon, you won't need to touch each other constantly and you'll be able to tolerate our close proximity and touches, as well."

"But why can't I bear them now? Why?" I asked frustrated.

Alice shrugged. "It seems that this special bond, connection, whatever it is that you two share, has a mind of its own. Bella is only a few days old. She's in a very delicate state. She's fragile and defenseless right now. She needs someone to look after her, she needs a protector. And nobody would be able to protect her and take care of her like you can, because she's your ultimate priority, your other half."

"She is." I breathed, pressing a gentle kiss on top of Bella's little head. She cooed adorably and patted my neck.

"She grows so fast. You two are going to outgrow this problem soon." My sister assured me, smiling lovingly at Bella, who started to nibble at the collar of my shirt.

"What are you doing baby girl?" I asked, scooping her up and lifting her up high into the air, above my head. She stretched out her tiny arms and reached for me with a big smile on her beautiful face. I lowered her just enough for her to place her hot little palms on my cheeks and her smile widened. She wiggled her small legs and propped her bare soles against my chest a bit uncertainly, her butt pointed up into the air. She wiggled it a little, rocking herself side to side playfully.

Then the beautiful voice of her mind filled my head again, sending a soft tremor down my spine, at which she let out a gurgling laugh. She was wide awake now and her thoughts centered around me. I saw myself through her eyes, which followed and drank in my every movement and every expression eagerly. I tasted a strange flavor to the images, which wasn't exactly new, because it'd been there last night too, since the moment I'd taken her into my arms, but now that Bella had been fed, slept through the night soundly and safely in my protective embrace and regained her strength, it was so much stronger. Every single thought of hers rang with possessiveness. In her eyes, without a doubt, I belonged to her. I was hers, and no one else's.

"Yours, baby girl." I whispered, turning my head slightly to press a gentle kiss to her fingers. "Only yours."

Alice chuckled and my eyes flashed to hers. "She's a possessive little thing, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." I smiled and looked up at the cooing baby between my hands, who wiggled her way higher in my grip, so she could bury her petite fingers into my hair. She grabbed a fistful of it and kicked happily, her thoughts showed her utter satisfaction.

"And this is something she's not going to outgrow." Alice added, watching the squirming little girl as she played with my messy locks. _Ever. _She added it in her thoughts. My smile only widened.

I let Bella play with my hair for a few more minutes, she seemed to be lost in her own personal bubble, completely ignoring anything and anybody around herself but me – Alice's efforts to gain her attention at least for a moment was completely fruitless. Her eyes were glued to my face, studying my features closely, memorizing every tiny detail of it. It was my eyes that mesmerized her the most, even more than the soft silkiness of my locks between her fingers.

"Yours are the prettiest." I whispered to her, kissing her small, button nose, earning a small squeal of delight from her. "Let's get you dressed and ready for the day. I have a feeling, it's going to be a long one." I sighed, absolutely not feeling ready to share my angel with the others.

_Don't be so over dramatic. _Alice giggled in her head.

"Would you like some help?" Esme walked into the room, smiling, while I climbed out of the bed carefully, with Bella in my arms. "Has she slept through the night?" She asked, thankfully keeping her distance from us, a hint of worry colored her voice.

"She has." I nodded and smiled at my mother. Bella wiggled a little and turned toward her, recognizing her voice from last night. Images of them playing during her bath flashed through her mind quickly, and she gave Esme a brilliant smile, much to her delight.

_She's so beautiful. And grew so much during the night... _"Good morning, darling. Did you sleep well?" Esme smiled back at her widely, blowing her a kiss.

Bella leaned her head on my shoulder and grabbed my hand that encircled her little torso with her small one, while she mimicked my mother's movements adorably with the other, sending her a kiss of her own. Esme beamed at her, completely giddy with pride and happiness.

I couldn't help chuckling at the two of them. Esme was definitely Bella's second favourite person in the family.

"Hey, don't I deserve a good morning kiss too?" Alice jumped up from the end of the bed, resting her hands on hips, pouting heavily.

I rolled my eyes at her again.

Bella's gaze flashed to her and she stared at her for a long time, studying my sister with those beautiful, big, chocolate brown eyes of hers. Then finally, she lifted her free hand to her lips again and blew a small kiss to Alice too, before turning toward me and hiding her face against my chest sheepishly.

"Okay, okay. Leave her be for a little bit, Alice." I rubbed Bella's back soothingly and felt her tiny body relax against me.

_Jeez, Edward, keep your hair on..._ Alice poked her tongue out at me childishly.

"Let's find some clothes for this little angel for today." Esme said gently, heading into my closet. Alice skipped after her excitedly, her thoughts buzzing with images of all kinds of baby clothes and accessories.

I rolled my eyes again and buried my nose into Bella's soft hair. "You're so lucky she can't put her hands on you." I whispered to her, pressing a small kiss to her forehead.

_I heard that, Edward._ Alice scolded me silently.

I chuckled and turned my full attention to the little girl in my arms. "How about we get you out of your pajamas while we're waiting for them? Would you like to help me again?" I asked her and instantly memories of last night filled my mind, Bella's memories about me dressing her after her bath. She loved it and thought about how funny it had been.

I laughed and moved to lay her down onto the bed, careful not to break our physical contact, not wanting to cause her any amount of pain. She grabbed one of my hand tightly, thinking the same thing, and pulled it up to her lips. Immediately, she took my index finger into her mouth and started nibbling on it playfully, grinning. I shook my head at her with an equally big grin on my face, reaching for her pajama pants.

"Lift your hips, baby girl." I commanded softly and she pushed her hips and cute little butt up high into the air eagerly, helping with her tiny legs to hold herself up. "Such a clever little girl." I pressed a soft kiss to her tummy and tugged her pants down with one hand.

Her grin widened. She was happy and proud to help me.

"Now come on, sit up." I wrapped my fingers around her thin arm and helped her up. "You have to let go of that for a moment." I slightly wiggled my index finger against her hot, tiny tongue and she looked up at me with wide eyes for a long moment, before reluctantly releasing it. She frowned, clearly unhappy about it. "You can have it back a little later." I leaned closer to her. "After we got you dressed and you ate your breakfast. I promise."

She pressed her palms against my cheeks, cradling my face clumsily – her warmth sent a shiver down my spine -, and cooed adorably.

I chuckled, which made her squeal in return. It was so easy to make her happy.

"Arms up, baby girl."

She obeyed me instantly and waited for me to remove her pajama top, clenching and unclenching her tiny fists again and again impatiently.

"Okay, okay, don't be so impatient, sweetheart." I kissed the top of her head, tossing her top behind her on the bed. As soon as my hands got free she grabbed them in a firm, possessive grip.

"Good. You're done." Alice skipped out of the closet, grinning like a mad woman, with a pile of baby clothes hanging on her arms. "Now it's time to dress her up." She clapped her hands excitedly, dropping the clothes on the edge of the bed.

"Alice, what are those?" I nodded towards them, furrowing my brows.

"Her clothes for today, of course, silly." She rolled her eyes at me. "Just look at that dress, she's going to look like an angel in it." She brushed her fingertips along the creamy velvet and embroidered lace. "And the cardigan... they're just simply beautiful together." She caressed the soft, delicate fabric of the matching cropped cardigan. "And..."

"Alice, stop." I cut her off, looking at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious. She's not a doll. She's a living, breathing creature. And only a baby. She needs some simple, comfortable clothes, not this."

"Edward, just put them on her. She'll love it."

"No." I shook my head, starting to get angry with her. "I want her to feel as comfortable as possible and those pieces of clothes look anything but that. So unless we're expected to a tea party with the queen of England, she's not going to wear them."

"I don't understand what your problem is." She huffed. "There's nothing wrong with these clothes. They're beautiful and stylish..."

"Jesus, Alice. _Stylish_?" I snapped. "She doesn't need anything stylish, only something warm and comfortable. She's only a baby, for God's sake. A few days old baby."

Bella put her fingertips on my lips then, looking up at me curiously, pushing her little brows together in concentration. I could feel the question in her thoughts, she was wondering what had got me so upset. She didn't like it... at all.

"I'm okay, baby girl. Don't worry." I kissed her knuckles softly and she smiled in response.

"Here you are, darling." Esme walked out of the closet and gave us a gentle, motherly smile. "Some comfortable clothes for this little girl." She handed me a simple, white pique cotton polo shirt, with small purple flowers printed on it, dark brown pants and white baby socks. They all were quite simple, yet pretty, and most of all, comfortable and warm. Just what Bella needed.

"But Esme..." Alice whined.

"Alice, honey, those are beautiful clothes you've chosen for Bella to wear today, but Edward is right. Besides, Bella is his mate, so until she's old enough to make decisions for herself, he's in charge doing it for her, about anything that involves the two of them."

"Okay." Alice sighed finally, looking up at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, I got a little carried away. I'm just so excited about her. I can't believe she's here finally. Reality is so much better than any of my visions about her."

"It's okay, Alice." I nodded to her. I was sure this wasn't the last argument, involving Bella I had to fight. And Rosalie wasn't going to be so reasonable or gracious. Besides, I couldn't agree with her more; the reality with Bella was beyond perfection, a thousand times better than any vision, and I couldn't blame her for being excited about it.

A few minutes later Bella was dressed and ready to start her first official day in the Cullen household. The others were not far away now, I could hear their minds enter into my range one by one, as I carried my petite angel down the stairs toward the kitchen to get her some breakfast, and they walked through the back door just as she finished it up.

"Hey there, little girl." Emmett boomed loudly, bursting into the living room, where Alice, Esme, Carlisle and I were sitting around, watching Bella playing with her now empty cup and waiting for their arrival. _She's a cute little thing, brother. _He smirked at me. _Nice socks... _He snickered, eying the little white, silk bows on the top of Bella's baby socks.

I rolled my eyes at him, which only made him laugh harder.

Bella looked up at him, a bit startled by his sudden, loud outburst, then returned to her previous activity, settling back against me with a soft sigh. She was chewing the edge of her metal cup adorably, though it held only a little part of her attention. She was mostly focusing on the gentle rise and fall of my chest as I breathed in and out evenly, and on my hand that wrapped around her little torso, holding her body to me as she sat on my lap. That now very familiar electricity buzzed between us with full force, soothing, relaxing both of us completely, and creating our own little bubble for us.

I kissed the top of her head lovingly – her hair smelled of baby shampoo -, while Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett settled down around us too, after taking care of the quite many bags of animal blood they had managed to gather during the night for Bella.

_She__'s__ gr__own__ overnight. _Rosalie's eyes fixated on her petite form. _She's such a unique creature... and so, so beautiful..._

"I assume that your trip was successful." Carlisle turned toward the three of them.

Jasper and Emmett nodded in unison, smirking as memories of their hunt filled their minds. It'd been different from their usual trip and they had enjoyed gathering various flavored blood for Bella, making a little bet about which one would she favour the best.

"Fine. The blood you managed to bring back should be enough for about a week or a bit more for her." Carlisle said. "And I suppose it won't be short before she becomes old enough to hunt for herself, or at least to hunt with some help." _I'm sure, you'll be more than happy to help her. Wouldn't even let anyone else to do it for her. _He looked at me and smiled.

I gave him a small nod, knowing well enough how right he was. I could never let anybody else to help my petite angel to hunt. I could never trust anybody with her enough to take care of her needs and protect her properly at the same time. And besides, there was just something... special, so very intimate in hunting with another vampire, especially sharing your prey with them. That was something usually only mates did. And simply the thought of my own mate doing it with anybody else but me sent me into a frenzy.

Suddenly there was a small metallic crack and I looked down at the beautiful baby in my arms. She stared down, wide eyed and surprised, at the cup she was holding between her tiny hands, with my help, of course. A small piece of metal was missing now from the edge of it, that she'd obviously just bitten off.

"It's okay, baby girl. It's okay. Nothing bad happened." I kissed her forehead soothingly when she frowned, clearly unhappy about what had just happened. "Let's put this down, now." I took the broken cup from her and placed it on the coffee table, before bringing my hand back to her beautiful, heart-shaped face and brushed my fingertips along her hot, rosy cheek. She reached for it immediately and pulled my index finger into her mouth again, flashing me a small grin, then frowned again when I pulled it back. "I don't think it's very tasty." I threw the broken piece of metal, I'd fished out from under her tongue, into the cup, then gave my finger back to her, very much to her delight.

_She's too cute for her own good, _Emmett chuckled, shaking his head, watching Bella intently.

_You're so good with her, such a natural, _Esme beamed at the two of us with motherly pride. She was bursting with happiness.

Jasper was watching us, too, from beside his wife, his thoughts wandering into an interesting direction as he was studying us. _He's so different already, though she's here for only a few short hours. They're so completely in tune... their feelings, their movements... so special, so unique... I've never witnessed such bond between two person... and she's only a baby. I can't imagine what their bond is going to develop into as she gets older and matures... __s__o strange... so extraordinary... _His body shifted toward us slightly. _I couldn't help feeling somehow drawn to the two of them, their feelings just so... warm, pure, inviting... and so, so strong... oh Edward, _He noticed me staring at him, suddenly. _Sorry... _He smiled sheepishly, pulling back.

"No, it's okay." I gave him a friendly nod.

"Well, I suppose, it's the perfect time to finish our discussion from yesterday." Carlisle continued. "There are still many things that need to be discussed, and decisions that need to be made."

Everyone nodded in unison, silently.

Bella wiggled a bit on my lap, Arching her back and kicking with her small legs playfully, while she nibbled on my finger contentedly with her tiny, but very sharp teeth.

"Careful, baby girl." I chuckled at her and pressed a soft kiss on top of her head.

"Okay, so first of all, I think, we should discuss what we're going to do about Bella's mother."

I felt Bella's body tense a little, then she shrank back against me. Her thoughts filled with horrible, bloody images of a broken woman, laying on the muddy forest floor in the middle of a pretty ugly storm. She knew that she'd been her mother and understood that she no longer existed, and that it was because of her. She was sad about it and missed her. And above anything else, she loved her, unconditionally.

I lifted her petite body into my arms, as a soft, quiet whimper escaped her mouth. She immediately pressed her face into the crook of my neck, seeking for some comfort. I rubbed small, soothing circles on her back, pressing kisses on her temple, and soon felt her relax.

_What's wrong with her? She seems pretty upset suddenly. _Emmett furrowed his brows, confused.

_I want to hold her. I should be the one holding her, not him. What does he even know about babies? It's so unfair... so fucking unfair..._

Rosalie's thoughts, however, dripped with jealousy and envy, centering around nothing else but herself. I had to force myself to stay calm and not to pounce on her and rip her throat out, but I couldn't hold back my angry, warning growl.

Emmett wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer against him. _Sorry, man, for whatever she was thinking about. It's... hard for her. I've already talked to her about it, but will do it again later._

I gave him a curt nod, letting him know that I heard him. I would let it go, for now, but I wasn't willing to listen to thoughts of hers like these forever. Not about Bella, not about _us_. If she wouldn't be able to control herself, then I wouldn't be able to help myself having a little, not so nice talk with her about it.

_ Edward? Is she alright? _Esme asked, trying not to jump up onto her feet and rush to us. Her anxious thoughts about Bella distracted me from my sister's self-centered ones.

I sighed and brushed my fingers through Bella's silky, mahogany locks. "She understands that we're talking about her mother. She knows who she is. She has memories of her." I explained quietly.

"She remembers her mother?" Emmett asked, shocked.

I nodded. "Crystal clearly."

_Poor __little __thing. _Esme frowned.

"I told you before. She has perfect memory." Alice said. "It's one of the many things that she's inherited from her father."

"Yeah. It's just really weird for an infant to remember their own birth." Emmett shrugged.

"She has memories even from the time when she was still in her womb." I told them.

_Wow..._

"Well," Carlisle was the first to collect his thoughts – this shocked even him. "then I think, it's even more important to arrange an honorable funeral for her. Her life and sacrifice to bring Bella into this world deserves to be honored and sanctified. This is the proper way for us to express our respect and reverence for this young woman, and for Bella to say goodbye to her and get some closure."

"I agree." Esme took his hand and smiled sadly, remembering the broken woman they'd found in the woods and brought home.

The others nodded silently, also agreeing with his idea.

"Alice, can you arrange a small but nice ceremony for tomorrow?"

"Of course." She smiled softly. "It's going to be beautiful."

"Just try to keep it simple. Nothing too fancy." He warned her.

Alice frowned a bit. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay." Carlisle nodded to her. "Now let's talk about something else. It seems that Bella inherited something else, too, from her father, other than the regular vampire abilities Alice talked about yesterday."

"What?" Emmett furrowed his brows again, his eyes raking up and down on Bella's small body, as if searching for some visible evidence of it. It made me uncomfortable and I shifted, trying to hide her from his view.

"She did?" Jasper asked, surprised. His mind was racing with the possibilities of what could it be.

"She has a gift." Carlisle said. "She has the ability to protect her mind from others."

"What does it mean exactly?" Rosalie asked, curiously. _She's gifted too..._

"Edward, would you care to explain it, please?" My father asked. "I think you can do it better than me."

I shifted Bella and sat her down on my lap again. I wrapped my arms around her and held my hands out for her, palms up. She placed her tiny ones on top of them immediately, clapping our palms together. She smiled up at me widely, beaming. Her earlier bad mood forgotten. She wanted my complete attention, she wanted me to play with her, but understood that we were talking about important things now, so she waited patiently, distracting herself with the tiny electric jolts that bounced between our skins where we were touching.

"When Alice brought Bella home yesterday," I began my explanation, meanwhile I clenched and unclenched my fists repeatedly, capturing my Bella's little hands then releasing them again, making her laugh. "I didn't really noticed it until her check up, or rather didn't really care about it, because everything that was happening with us, around us, between us, was just too incredible, too amazing. This was just something she could do, a part of who she was, so completely, utterly natural for her – the silence of her mind."

"You can't hear her thoughts?" Jasper asked, his shock was mirrored on both Emmett's and Rosalie's faces. The others weren't surprised, of course, they already knew this.

_ Wait. Did he just say her mind was silent to him?_ Emmett raised his eyebrows. _Is that even possible? Nobody was immune to his gift, ever... I mean EVER..._

"Well, I can. But only if she lets me in." I shrugged, continuing playing with my brown-eyed, petite angel.

"What does that mean exactly?" Emmett asked.

"Bella is a shield." I said, pride was evident in my voice.

Bella stared up at me with the same curious expression on her angelic face that she'd worn last night, when I'd said this for the first time, right before her check-up.

_Shield?_ Rosalie was shocked.

_Shield?_ _Like Aro's bodyguard, Renata? _Jasper wondered.

_Shield? What the heck?_ Emmett's eyes widened.

"No, she's nothing like Renata." I answered Jasper's unspoken question. "Though I've never met her before face to face to now for sure how her gift works, but what Carlisle has told me about it once, it's nothing like Bella's ability."

"But they call her a shield, and you used the same phrase at Bella, too." Rosalie narrowed her eyes, confused.

"It's just a phrase, a collective noun for many different, yet in a way very similar gifts, like Bella's and Renata's. Though their gifts are really different from each other, both of them can be called 'shield', since they both are purely defensive talents, ones that are for only to protect." Carlisle explained. "I had an interesting, deep discussion about vampire talents with Eleazar once. A _very long_ one that lasted a few years, for that matter." He smiled at the memory. "He could explain it in more details. Though maybe, it would be better not to involve him in this just now."

"Have you managed to find out how exactly Bella's gift works?" Jasper turned toward me, eager to learn about it as much as possible. Bella's shield and the possibilities it might hold in a possible fight fascinated him. I, on the other hand, was not too thrilled with the idea.

"You said you couldn't read her mind until she let you in?" Emmett added.

I nodded, as an answer to both of their questions.

Bella cooed softly, staring up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers. She was waiting for me to talk. In her mind she showed me just how very much she loved the sound of my voice, it was her favourite sound in the world. And she was absolutely fascinated with how her name rang every time I said it out loud.

I shook my head at her, completely smitten with her, earning a shy smile and a breathtaking blush to spread across her small baby face.

"Right before Carlisle examined her," I started my explanation, reluctantly turning back to our family. "he and I made a small talk, though only I was talking out loud, while Carlisle only spoke to me in his thoughts. It caught Bella's attention, of course – she's quite perceptive." I looked down at her proudly. "She noticed that something was going on and – as the smart little girl she is – she managed to figure it out that I could hear not just the spoken words of others but their thoughts, as well. And then she opened her mind to me. She wanted me to hear her too." I grinned at my small angel. "She was quite jealous of you all. She wanted that special connection with me too."

The others chuckled and Bella's cheeks turned the most beautiful shade of red again. She twisted her torso and pressed her face into my stomach shyly, embarrassed by the the too much attention. I cradled her little head ever so gently with one hand, holding her to me, raking my fingers through her hair soothingly.

"So how does her gift work exactly?" Rosalie asked, staring at Bella intently, unable to take her eyes off of her, following closely her every tiny movement, stirring my instincts.

I squirmed in my place, trying to control my raging, screaming instincts. She desperately wanted to take Bella out of my arms and hold her. She wanted to be the one who Bella snuggled up to. She wanted to change her clothes to something more prettier and wanted to feed her and play with her. She wanted Bella to want her, to _need_ her. But most of all, to depend on her like only a defenseless infant could depend on their mother.

"Rosalie," Jasper hissed at her. "Whatever you are thinking about, stop. Before Edward is going to explode."

Rosalie turned her head away from Bella finally, muttering a meaningless 'sorry'.

"Would you explain it finally?" Emmett asked, trying to ease the sudden tension.

I exhaled, trying to stop the trembling of my body, then nodded to him, just as Bella's tiny fingers found their way under my shirt through the small slit between two buttons. I shivered under her unexpected touch, while she let out a gurgling, high pitched squeal, utterly happy with herself.

"As I said, she's a shield." I began, rubbing Bella's back lovingly. She was busy, trying to dilate the hole, so she could push her whole fist in. "She has a very thin but incredibly tough and absolutely impenetrable sheet around her. It hugs her like a second skin. And I believe that she can project it if she wants."

"Project it?" Jasper raised his eyebrow curiously.

_What the fuck does it mean?_ Emmett wondered silently. At least he did not cursed out loud.

"Yes." I nodded. "Like Kate can do it with her own gift. Only, Bella can push her shield away from herself, stretch it out, if you like."

"Do you think she can protect others besides herself?" Carlisle asked, curiously.

"Well, as far as I can tell, I suppose she should be able to do it. If she projects it far enough, I'm sure she can wrap it around someone else, and maybe even more than one person."

"Wait." Emmett pointed at me excitedly. "Does that mean that she can wrap this sheet thing around any of us to shield us too? And if she does, you won't be able to read our mind?"

I nodded. "I suppose."

"Cool." He grinned widely. "I just love this little squirt."

All of a sudden a crack cut us off again and all eyes in the room flashed to Bella once more, who stared down at her tiny fist irritably. Then she reached toward me, holding it out to me with a small frown on her angel-face.

"What do you have here, baby girl?" I hold out my palm to her, chuckling, knowing the answer to the question perfectly well, seeing it in her mind already.

She opened her hand to me, showing me the slightly squashed button that once had belonged to my shirt, and pouted, jutting her soft, rosy lip out in the most adorable way.

"Don't worry, love." I took it from her and absentmindedly threw it into the broken cup on the coffee table. "You did nothing wrong." I took her small hand and brought it up to my lips.

"She sure is a force of nature." Emmett burst out laughing, finding absolutely hilarious that my mate had just managed to tear my shirt open. Not completely, but still...

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Okay, can we just focus on our conversation?" Alice glared at him. "And if I were you, I would stop teasing them. You really don't want to push Edward over the edge with your usual, stupid remarks. Believe me, he won't tolerate it for long now. His patience will wear thin pretty soon."

"We will discuss this too," Carlisle said, staring at Emmett sternly. "but let's concentrate on our current topic now. Alice," He turned toward her. "have you seen anything about how might Bella's gift work?"

Alice frowned and shook her head. "No, nothing. I didn't have any visions about it. She doesn't seem to use it in any of my visions I've seen about her."

"But she used it yesterday." Jasper said. "She'd blocked Edward's gift, keeping him out of her mind, until she understood what he was able to do and decided to let him in. There isn't really any noticeable sign if she uses her gift or not. I mean here she is, sitting on Edward's lap and none of us could tell whether she is using it right now or not. Edward is the only exception because of the nature of his own gift."

"I'm not so sure." I shook my head.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.

"I can read her mind right now, because she's letting me inside it in the moment. Her mind is the most amazing one I've ever seen. The voice of it, the way it works, the nature of her thoughts and her whole personality..." I shook my head again, fighting to find the best way to describe the complexity of my mate's mind. "Everything is just so breathtaking about it. So beautiful, so unique. And every time she lets me in I can see her shield perfectly well. I can feel it as it were my own. I can feel its strength. I can feel how impenetrable it is. I can even feel the effort it takes Bella to keep it away from her and open herself up to me. And I can understand how this part of it works. But what I can't grasp quite well is how its other part works exactly. Not until I witness her using it."

"Other part?" Carlisle raised his eyebrow questioningly.

I nodded. "A secondary, outer layer. I believe this is the part that she could project if she wanted it. It's quite similar in its strength and invulnerability to the inner part that protects her own mind, but maybe its a bit tougher, not as... pure."

"Absolutely fascinating." Carlisle breathed in awe.

The others' thoughts mirrored his own amazed ones. Everybody was completely enthralled by Bella and her extraordinary talent.

"I think, we just have to wait and see how it works. When she's ready and decides to use it." He murmured, staring at the little girl in my arms with absolute wonder.

I nodded again, completely agreeing with him. I didn't want to force Bella to use her gift, so that we could examine further how it worked. She wasn't a guinea pig. Even the mere thought angered me.

I looked down at her, sitting on my lap, still playing with my hands, and leaned down to bury my nose into her silky locks, inhaling her warm, floral scent. It calmed me instantly.

"There's another thing that we also need to discuss today as a family, because it concerns all of us." Carlisle continued. "We've lived here in Denali for four years now. We live a quite separated life for once, as you all know, and even in the hospital nobody's got suspicious yet about the fact that I look exactly like I did on my first workday and haven't aged a day during the passing years. But it won't be that way forever. We will have to move soon.

"We should seriously think over our possibilities. As Alice told us yesterday, Bella has seven years of childhood, and in my opinion she needs a safe, permanent place to live during this very important period of her life, one that she could call her home. We should not disturb her with moving from one place to another until she stops growing finally. Also during these seven years she's going to grow and mature in an extremely fast rate, which means that she's going to change physically in a very spectacular way. I think we all agree that this is something that no human or vampire should witness. So we have to be very careful."

He looked around the room, locking eyes with each of us, his gaze lingering on my face a little longer. His thoughts showed nothing but deep concern for Bella and me.

"We have to make a decision about where are we going to raise Bella." He continued. "We have to keep in mind that this place needs to be perfectly safe and secluded enough from the outside world. It has to be somewhere where even vampires rarely show up, because we can't be sure how would a stranger react to a child who is obviously more than human. We have to avoid something like this to happen at all cost."

"Are you afraid that they would mistake her for an immortal child?" Jasper asked, raising his eyebrow a bit surprised. The possibility hadn't crossed his mind before, but now he could see it very clearly that the chance of it happening was quite high.

_ God, no_... Esme cringed at the thought.

I tensed up immediately, alarming Bella too. Her mood became completely in tune with my own in a blink of an eye, as if it'd just flowed into her system through our connection, and she shrank back against me instinctively, burying her little face into my stomach again, seeking comfort. My arms wrapped around her small form tighter and I pulled my legs up on the sofa, knees bent, trying to shield her body with my own as much as possible.

"They would have to be really dumb or blind to mistake Bella for an immortal child." Rosalie said disdainfully, finding the idea absolutely ridiculous. "There are a million little things to prove the opposite. Her heartbeat, her blushing cheeks, her warmth, even the color of her eyes..."

"And what if you see her only from afar?" Carlisle asked patiently, ignoring her tone. "If you couldn't see the color of her eyes or how her blood rushes under her skin, or feel the heat radiating from her body in shocking waves? What if the only thing you notice about her is how inhumanly graceful her movements are – even now as a baby? Or what if you see her hunting in the forest, sucking the blood of an animal, which I'm sure she will be able to do in a few weeks or months? No vampire would ever come to the right conclusion about what she really is. None of them would ever even dream of the possibility of the existence of such a creature like Bella. We wouldn't have, either, before yesterday."

"So preferably we have to keep her out of the public eye as much as possible." Esme said, gripping my father's hand tightly, lacing her fingers through his. "At least for a few years, while she grows so rapidly."

He nodded. "Yes. That would be the best. Anyone disagrees?"

Everyone shook their heads, completely agreeing with him. None of us wanted to put Bella in any kind of danger.

I looked down at the petite angel on my lap, who wiggled against me, holding onto my fingers and shirt, trying to turn around in my arms. I could see it in her mind what her intention was and how determined she was to get it. She was a stubborn little thing. After a few unsuccessful tries, she looked up at me pleadingly, lifting her arms up into the air, reaching for me. Her thoughts showed me crystal clearly what she wanted me to do. Chuckling, I scooped her up into my hands and, turning her toward me, placed her hot little body on my chest. With a satisfied sigh, she leaned her head on my shoulder and pressed her face into the crook of my neck, while I rubbed soothing circles on her small back. I felt her whole body relax under my touch. She placed her tiny fingers on my mouth, tracing my lips with her hot fingertips gently. She showed me just how silky and soft she thought they were and how she loved when I pressed them to her skin.

"Is she okay?" Esme asked worriedly, watching us intently.

"Yes," I smiled at her reassuringly. "She just got sleepy. She hasn't slept much in the past few days."

_It's so sad..._ she thought. _But she's here now, completely safe. We will protect her and take care of her forever._

She rushed out of the room suddenly, and were back in second, again, with a baby blanket in her hands. She stepped closer to the two of us carefully, not wanting to stir my instincts, which, surprisingly, she didn't. She leaned closer slowly and looked at me for permission. When I nodded to her, she wrapped the dark purple blanket around my shoulder and chest, completely covering Bella's little body, minding not to touch either of us in the process. Then she sat back down close to Carlisle, and beamed at us, nearly bursting with happiness.

_I can't believe this..._ I heard Rosalie's thoughts, which practically dripped with pure jealousy.

"Rose, no!" Alice shouted all of a sudden, and I watched the vision playing out in her head.

_...Rosalie jumped from her seat, shaking off Emmett's arm that was wrapped around her shoulder. She stared at __the __bundle in my arms, snuggled under the blanket for a moment, before she flew across the room and took her into her own arms, unable to restrain herself any longer. __Instantly, Bella started thrashing in her hold, trying to get away from her and back to me. Her beautiful features twisted into an agonized, desperate grimace, while __her __heartbroken, painful cry filled the room. It quickly turned into a high-pitched, terrifying scream as she watched me collapse __on__to the floor in pain, __growling and crying out in complete agony..._

As the vision ended, Alice and Jasper were already on their feet, crouching in front of Bella and me defensively. I felt a huge wave of calmness washing through me and their thoughts urged me to stay calm, as well. I didn't fight it, not wanting to frighten the half-asleep little girl laying on my chest, but tightened my arms around her, glad that the blanket shielded her petite form from prying eyes.

"I won't do anything." Rosalie huffed, crossing her arms.

"But you wanted to." Alice hissed angrily. "Why can't you understand that you can't touch Bella? You can't just go and take her from Edward. It would hurt both of them. So very much. We all want to be with her and hold her, but we have to be patient for a while. If you love Bella and your brother – which I know you do, despite your behavior – you will wait until they're ready."

"But how could Esme be that close to them? Why did he let her that close?" Rosalie asked, shooting me an angry glare.

"Maybe it has something to do with her gentle emotions and probably thoughts as well, toward them." Jasper said. "He doesn't consider her as such a threat."

"And does he consider me as one?" She hissed, even more pissed off.

"Right now, we all consider you as one, Rosalie." Alice said. "And even you would consider yourself as one if you had seen my vision of what might have happened just now because of your selfishness."

"Rosie, please." Emmett gently pulled her closer. "Think of Bella, baby. You don't want to hurt her, do you?"

Rosalie looked up at him and let out a resigned sigh. "Of course not."

"Then be patient for a little while. Okay? And just love her from afar for now." He brushed his huge hand across her pale cheek. "And let her get to like you too. If you push them too hard, she will never love you, baby."

_I want her to love me._ _Beautiful baby..._ She looked longingly at Bella.

"Okay." She sighed again. Her mind filled with nothing but sadness, for once.

"All right. Alice, Jasper, sit back down, please. I think, she'll be okay now, won't you, Rose?" Carlisle asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

She nodded.

"Edward, are you two okay?" Esme asked worriedly.

"We're fine." I murmured, standing and walking slowly to glass wall. I rocked my beautiful angel gently, trying to soothe the both of us and lull her to sleep, while putting more distance between us and our family, which also helped to ease my mind.

"Let's finish our discussion." Carlisle suggested.

"So we need to find a safe, quiet place where we can live in the next seven years, while Bella grows up." Jasper summed up the situation.

"I guess, staying here is not an option?" Emmett asked. "I mean this house is quite isolated from the outside world."

"It is, you're right." Carlisle nodded.

"So can't we just simply stay here after you quit your job in the hospital?" Emmett pressed.

"We're too close to the Denalis." Jasper noted. "We should keep Bella away from other vampires."

"From them especially." Carlisle added thoughtfully. "The sisters' past would only complicate an occurrent unexpected encounter with Bella. Their reaction to her would be a thousand times worse than any other, ordinary vampire's. I know that they're practically family, but we have to be very careful with them for a while for Bella's sake. They could easily endanger her."

"We can't stay here." I said firmly, rejecting this option instantly.

"We won't, darling. Don't worry." Esme assured me.

"What about somewhere in England?" Emmett asked. "We can find a nice, secluded place there."

I shook my head. "No, we can't go to Europe, either. Anywhere so close to the Volturi would be just too dangerous." There was absolutely no way I would take Bella anywhere near them. I didn't took chances with my beautiful, fragile mate.

"Yes, we should stay away from them at all cost." Jasper agreed.

"We should stay on the continent." Carlisle added, running through a list of places where we could possibly move in his head.

"Somewhere in Canada, maybe?" Rosalie asked.

Alice shook her head. "We should choose a lot less cloudy place, what our kind usually avoids." She noted.

"Are you suggesting that we should move somewhere warm and sunny?" Rosalie raised her eyebrows in disbelief. _What a crazy idea._ "We would be forced to hide for the better part of the day." _She can't be serious..._

"Wouldn't it be the point, baby?" Emmett chuckled. "We're about to separate ourselves from the world for the next seven years."

"Yes, but we would be trapped. That's different." She argued.

"I can't see how." He shrugged, earning a dirty glare from his beloved wife. "We would be in a secluded area where no one would have the chance to see us, so why would it matter if the weather is sunny or not?"

"Whatever." She continued glaring at him irritably.

"Maybe Alice's idea isn't so bad." Carlisle said thoughtfully. "The sun should most likely keep our kind away from a location like this. We could keep Bella safer this way. We can't keep her hidden forever, but the later the word gets out about her existence the better."

"So we need to find a secluded, sunny place for once." Emmett grinned, already overexcited by the idea. _It's going to be awesome..._

"Somewhere in South America? Maybe in the Amazon rainforest?" Jasper suggested, uncertainly. _Would it be good for Bella? She's so small and fragile._

"That's a possibility." Carlisle nodded.

"Wouldn't it be too tough for Bella?" Rosalie asked worriedly. "The weather, the heavy storms, the high humidity and countless dangerous, sometimes venomous animals."

"Don't worry, Rose." Alice chuckled. "She's a tough girl. Almost as tough as us. The storms, the humidity or the temperature has absolutely no effect on her, just like they don't have any effect on us. And there's no animal that could hurt her in the slightest. She's immortal and her skin is impenetrable, remember?"

_Edward... Isle Esme..._ My mother's mental voice spoke to me suddenly. _She would be perfectly safe there. We all would._

I saw the picture of the almost dreamlike place floating in her mind, as it'd done in the past few months quite often. She had decided to renovate and also to expand the house there eight months ago and she was almost done with it now. It was her big project this year and she loved every bit of it, more than her any other works, much to Carlisle's delight. This place was just so special to both of them.

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking into her bright, gentle eyes. Our exchange caught the others' attention immediately. "You've worked a lot on it. And we've never lived there permanently."

"I'm sure." She nodded firmly. "That's the perfect place. Far enough from everything and everybody else, yet still close to the civilization. We wouldn't be so isolated there." _I'm sure of it, Edward. I want us to move there. _

I nodded, just as a wide grin spread across Alice's face.

"Would you share it with us too, my dear?" Carlisle smiled down at Esme, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it tenderly.

"Isle Esme. We should move there." She said. "That's the perfect place in every way. And Bella could have a very happy childhood there."

There was an instant, silent agreement in the family. They all fell in love with Esme's idea in a heartbeat, especially because we all knew how much that island meant to her.

I looked down at the beautiful little girl in my arms and smiled, still rocking her ever so softly as she laid against me half asleep. Yes, Bella could have a very happy childhood growing up on Isle Esme, I was going to make sure of it.

"She's going to need papers." Jasper said, his mind working on the details already. _...passport... birth certificate...I need to talk to Jenks. __I should give him a visit._

"How much time do you need to get them?" Carlisle asked, running through a list of things that he had to sort out before we would leave.

"If we pay him enough money, he should be ready with them in a week, at most."

Carlisle nodded. "That's fine. A week should be enough to pack and prepare everything. I'll quit from the hospital tomorrow." He then turned to Esme. "Is one week enough to finish the work in the house?"

"Don't worry. It's practically done already." She assured him. "I can finish the last touches myself. And I can also redo your room, so it will suit both Bella and you as well." She said the last part to me, smiling tenderly at the two of us.

"So it's settled then." Carlisle said. "We're going to to move in a week."


	4. Seeing the world through your eyes

_A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. _

**Chapter 4 – Seeing the world through your eyes**

"Look what I have for you, angel." I held out my hands to Bella, hiding a small crab between my palms, that I'd just found in our own personal little pond on the beach.

She was sitting in the warm water under the blazing brazilian sun in nothing but a tiny, adorable, red polka dot baby bikini and matching sun hat, with me laying on my side behind her, curled around her petite form protectively. She leaned back against my bare chest, enjoying the familiar, soothing electricity flowing between us freely – it'd only got stronger in the past three weeks, since the first day we'd met. Our family surrounded us, watching her play and laugh and simply just discover new, exciting pieces of the world, like she was the most enchanting sight on the face of the earth. Which she was, for me and for them, too. The most precious treasure.

I felt her hot little hand patting the back of mine gently and she looked up at me curiously, a small smile playing on her tiny, perfect lips.

_Show me?_ She thought sweetly, the beautiful, melodious voice of her mind rang in my head deliciously, sending soft waves of tremor down my spine, as always.

She had not spoken a word out loud yet, but the development of her mind was truly mesmerizing to witness, it progressed even faster than her body. She'd started to think in more than just images and feelings only a few days after Alice had found her in the woods, then the simple words had grown into full sentences quickly. Her vocabulary expanded with a stupendous rate. I was sure that the only reason she hadn't started to actually speak yet was that she simply didn't want to. Of course, none of us wanted to push her, she would speak when she was ready. All we wanted for her was to be happy, and she was, immensely. Bella was a very calm, consistent and happy baby.

_Edward?_ She asked again, staring up at me, waiting.

I grinned at her and leaned down to rub my nose playfully against her tiny one, making her burst into a fit of giggles. She pressed her hot little palms to my icy cheeks, holding me to her possessively. Just like Alice had said she would be, she was very protective and possessive of me, much to Emmett's amusement.

"So? Do you not want to see it?" I asked her teasingly, nodding toward my still clasped hands. "Well, in that case..." I heaved a heavy sigh and moved to throw the small animal back into the ocean.

_No!_ She squealed both in her thoughts and out loud, shaking her little head furiously. Her beautiful, long, wavy hair bounced around her sweet face. _What is it?_ She wondered, pointing down at my hands with her petite index finger.

I unfolded my hands slowly, showing her the little, frightened crab, that was trying to escape from my hold desperately, and watched as her chocolate eyes widened in wonder as she stared down at the strange and very interesting creature in my palm.

"It's a crab." I told her quietly. "It's a creature of the sea."

_Crab? _She looked up at me, then back down at the tumbling animal. _It's funny._ She giggled.

"Yes. It's pretty funny." I chuckled.

_Can I touch it?_

I nodded. "You have to be very careful with it. It's very fragile."

_Like fish?_

I smiled and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Yes, exactly like fish. What do you think, can you do it, baby girl?"

She nodded, looking suddenly very serious, her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

"Okay." I said, trying to stifle my laughter, along with our whole family, who watched our whole exchange with open fascination. Bella was just so cute.

She reached for the crab and brushed her tiny fingertips along its back gently, making sure not to hurt, even accidentally, the poor creature. Then ever so carefully, she took it into her own little hands and lifted it up to take a better look at it.

_It smells like the ocean._ She noted, after sniffing around.

"It lives in the ocean." I explained, resting my now empty hands on her bare, chubby little legs.

_Is that its home?_ She thought, wriggling her tiny feet, until she managed to push her soles into my palms.

"Yes."

_Like fish's?_

I nodded, rubbing her soft, warm skin. "Yes. Pretty much like that."

I watched her little face and listened to her thoughts as she still studied the crab, turning and twisting it in her petite hands. The gentleness of her movements completely amazed me. She knew her own strength perfectly well, and was able to control it without any difficulty.

She looked up at Esme then and smiled at her brilliantly. The joy of her new discovery radiated from her tiny body and reflected in Esme's eyes perfectly. They shared a very special bond, which only strengthened with each passing day, much to Carlisle's and my delight. In Bella's eyes, Esme was her new mother, though she'd never forgotten the woman who had carried her in her womb and given life to her, sacrificing her own for her precious daughter in the process. She remembered her warmth, her soft, gentle voice and how safe and loved she'd made her feel.

"Momma," Bella said out loud, grinning at Esme widely, showing her tiny, pearly white teeth.

The others gasped, their eyes widened in surprise, while Bella stayed completely oblivious to their silent awe and how she'd just managed to render our entire family - even their mind - speechless for a few moments.

_Wow..._

I closed my eyes briefly, unable to hold back my own reaction to hearing my Bella's beautiful, high soprano voice for the first time - so similar to the sound of her mind, yet so much different. My whole body started to tremble as soft waves of pleasure rippled down my spine. I growled quietly and tightened my hold on her little feet, while she pressed her small, hot back closer to my chest in answer and beamed up at me.

Our family's mental voices seemed so quiet and far away in that moment, just a soft humming in the background. My mind seemed to be able to register only small pieces of thoughts.

…_she... really speak? _Emmett wondered.

_…so beautiful..._ Rosalie's eyes sparkled with pure wonder.

In the past weeks she'd come to terms with the whole situation with Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle's help, and accepted the rules that were to protect both Bella and me. She did not want to cause any kind of pain to us, especially to Bella.

_She's... magnificent... son..._ I heard Carlisle's faint voice.

_Edward... you alright? _Jasper watched me worriedly.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Alice's eyes widen, but I could not concentrate to her mind to watch the vision play out in her head, nor did I care about it in that moment.

"Look what I have, Momma." Bella turned back to Esme in the meanwhile and said fluently, holding up her new little friend happily. "A crab."

With one very graceful motion, she got onto her little feet, and after one last look back at me, she skipped to Esme, practically dancing in the sand like a tiny ballerina. Her trilling, angelic laughter floated in the air.

As soon as she was out of my arms and our physical connection broke, two things happened at once. The pain, we all had worked so hard to avoid, returned now, though it wasn't nearly as excruciating as it'd been on that first day. It was there, throbbing in every fiber of my body, making me a weak, trembling mess, but it did not paralyze me. I found myself to be able to tolerate it, at least for a little while.

Along with the pain, the voices returned also, or rather got stronger, louder, clearer again. It'd become so easy to avoid them with Bella so close. Her close proximity was like a soft, warm blanket wrapped tightly around me. It made me practically unaware of anything but her.

She stopped suddenly, halfway to Esme, and looked back at me, whimpering, her beautiful, chocolate eyes wide. Her tiny body was shaking the exact same way as my own. I would have had her in my arms in a blink of an eye, if I hadn't seen in her mind how much she wanted to go to Esme and show her her crab. She wanted to do it on her own. She wanted to make her Momma smile.

"It's okay. Go." I gave her an encouraging nod. We could endure a minute or two of this, and she was only a few feet away, she could be in my arms again in a heartbeat.

She stared at me for another moment before lifting her hand up to her rosy lips and blowing me a kiss, like she'd learned from Esme a few weeks ago. She smiled at me one last time, then turned back toward the others and continued her way to Esme.

The further she got away from me, the more anxious I became and the less I could control the trembling of my body. I could feel something strange and unknown start to grow somewhere deep inside me. It was a need, a feral instinct so strong that I could hardly found the strength to fight it, while it demanded only one thing: get to Bella again. It pounded in my head fiercely, making me nearly insane. It was so hard to see through the red haze that suddenly clouded my mind and not to act upon it and just grab my angel like a savage.

_Bella... Bella... my Bella... my mate... MINE...__MINE..._

I watched my angel as she finally reached Esme, and stopped in front of her, unable to take my eyes off of her petite, fragile form. I was on high alert, monitoring everybody's thoughts closely. I could not let them bring any harm to her. They needed to stay far away from her.

Before I could control myself, I was on my feet and sank into a low crouch, ready to pounce on anybody, who might even think about getting close to her. They could not do that. They could not touch her. I let out a warning growl and watched with satisfaction as they carefully backed away from my girl at Carlisle's quiet command. All but Esme, who remained sitting in front of Bella, smiling warmly at her.

"Look, Momma." Bella lifted up the crab for her to get a better look at it.

She did not seem flustered or frightened by my actions or the others' anxious reactions, she didn't even seem to notice it, though I could see it in her mind that she was perfectly aware of it.

"What do you have, darling girl?" Esme asked softly, leaning slightly closer. Her thoughts burst with pure happiness and love.

Strangely, I did not find her closeness to Bella as intimidating as the others', but I was still on edge, burning with the overpowering need to protect my mate at all costs, even from our own family.

And Bella found it completely natural, understanding our unique connection fully. I could see it her mind that she knew exactly just how far she should push me.

"A crab." She answered proudly to Esme. "My Edward found it for me. Isn't it funny? "

Esme nodded. "It's pretty funny. Your Edward" her gaze flashed to me for a brief moment and she smiled, before turning back to Bella again. "can find the funniest things for you." Her smile widened as Bella ducked her head shyly and blushed beautifully at that.

"It tickles my hands with its legs." Bella giggled softly.

"Well, it's probably trying to get back to its family." Esme explained patiently. "You should let it go, sweetheart."

Bella's eyes widened again and she looked at the still wriggling animal in her hands in wonder. "Do you think, it has tiny babies, Momma?"

Esme cocked her head and smiled again, amazed by the tiny girl in front of her and her incredible progress.

"Hm, most likely, darling."

Bella gasped and twirled around. She was back in my arms in a mere second. Every single muscle in my body relaxed instantly and she practically melted into my embrace, pressing her face into the crook my neck, the pain forgotten once more.

_The crab has babies, Edward._ She thought to me excitedly, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly. _Momma said it. _

I chuckled at her, feeling completely at ease now that I was holding her again.

_We have to let it go back to its babies. _She pulled back and looked into my eyes, resting one of her little palms on my cheek.

"Your Momma is very clever." I kissed the tip of her cute, button nose, making her giggle while she nuzzled her angel face against mine. "Let's release that crab, baby girl."

We sat back into our little pond and she leaned down to place her new little friend back into the water.

_Will it find its way home? _She asked worriedly, watching it swim then crawl further and further away from us.

"I'm sure, it will." I assured her, caressing her small back lovingly.

"Momma, will it find its way home?" She turned back to Esme and asked her too, needing her reassurance, also, besides my own.

"Of course, sweetie. Don't worry about it." Esme nodded and Carlisle wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her gently back against his bare chest.

Bella smiled at the two of them. She absolutely loved to see them show affection to each other, to witness through small gestures how much they loves the other. It fascinated her and made her absolutely happy.

_Daddy loves Momma so much._ She sighed internally, snuggling closer to me and I couldn't help grinning widely. It was the first time she called Carlisle 'Daddy' in her thoughts. Her shy nature and our very complicated connection made it pretty difficult for her to get close to anybody and form a deep bond with them.

"Yes, angel. Daddy loves Momma very much." I looked up at Carlisle and see him beaming at the little girl in my arms with surprise and love. "Almost as much as I love you."

She leaned her head on my chest, a soft smile playing on her rosy lips as she stared up at me.

"Sweetheart?" Carlisle's voice burst our bubble and Bella turned toward him curiously. "Would you like to help me build a sand castle?"

I watched with amusement as her big, chocolate brown eyes widened in amazement.

_A real castle?_ _Like in that pretty book you read to me once?_ She asked looking up at me quickly, remembering our second night together, when I'd read her a bedtime story for the first time from one of the children's books Alice had bought for her.

I nodded, grinning. "Only made of sand."

She clapped her tiny hands and giggled, bouncing excitedly in my arms. _Yes, I want that. __Please?_

"You need to tell that to Daddy, baby girl." I nudged her playfully. "He can't read your beautiful mind, you know."

"I'd love to help you, Daddy." She said sweetly, yet somehow shyly. She was so adorable. "Can Momma help too?"

"Of course." Carlisle nodded, smiling widely. "But maybe we should ask her about it first if she'd like to help us or not, don't you think?"

"Momma would you like to help us build a castle?" Bella asked Esme immediately, staring at her pleadingly. It was impossible to resist her pout.

"I'd love that, my sweet." Esme smiled too, nearly bursting with happiness.

"Make that a competition," Emmett clapped, then rubbed his large palm together mischievously. "and see who can build the coolest one." He flashed a wide grin at Bella, who shrank back against my chest sheepishly, blushing profoundly.

She bewared of him a little bit, which all of us but Emmett found quite amusing. She found his big muscles and his noisy nature a tad bit frightening, which I could fully understand; she was such a petite and delicate little thing compared to him.

"Emmett, you moron." Rosalie hissed at him and smacked the back of his head. "Stop frightening her all the time you open your big mouth."

"It's okay, Rose." I chuckled, shaking my head at them. "She's perfectly fine, so there's no need to scold your husband this time."

"See Rosie?" Emmett asked, rubbing the spot she'd just hit. "There's no need to get abusive."

She just rolled her eyes at him while he pouted like a small child who'd been just denied his favourite cookie.

_They're so funny. _Bella thought to me and chuckled at them.

"Yeah, they're pretty funny." I agreed, kissing the tip of her nose. "Let's start to build that castle while they're still busy arguing. Before they know it, we're going to have the prettiest one of all."

She clapped her hands and laughed. _Let's go... go... go..._


	5. Your guardian angel

_A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. _

**Chapter 5 – Your guardian angel...**

** "**It's bedtime now, baby girl. It's far too late for little girls to still be up at such a late hour." I nuzzled Bella's tiny nose playfully.

I was sitting on our bed with her standing on my thighs, freshly bathed and in her newest set of pajamas, holding onto my hair tightly. She was refusing to go to sleep yet, stubbornly.

She shook her head in answer, her soft, wavy hair, that already reached the middle of her back, bounced around her heart shaped face.

I tickled her belly playfully, earning a gleeful but pretty tired giggle from my little angel. Her knees buckled as she wiggled, trying to escape me, and she fell onto my lap with a soft thud. It only made her giggle some more.

"It's enough, children." Esme scolded us from the doorway, trying to sound like a strict mother.

It would have worked, if she could have stopped herself smiling whenever she heard her newest daughter's trilling laughter.

I could not blame her, though. This little girl had bewitched us all and had all of us wrapped around her petite fingers. It was just simply impossible to resist her charm.

_You still have sand in your hair. _Bella teased me in her thoughts, while she tangled her hot, little fingers deeper into my messy locks.

She just loved to mess with my poor hair.

"I seriously doubt it, smarty pants." I teased her back and pressed a small peck on the tip of her nose. "You've done a pretty thorough job washing it out."

After giving her a long bath and washing all the sand out of her long, mahogany locks – which had not been an easy thing to do -, she'd insisted to do the same for me. So I'd carried her into the shower and held her while she'd cleaned my hair. It had taken nearly an hour till she'd finally got satisfied with her work and let me carry her back into our room.

Bella's sweet giggle filled our room again as she buried her face into my bare stomach.

_I needed to make it extra soft again. _

"Extra soft?" I chuckled at her silliness, rubbing her back softly. Her soft yellow, flutter-sleeve pajama top was wet from her hair and clinged to her petite body.

I felt her give a tiny nod, then yawned.

"I'm hungry." She spoke out loud – probably for Esme's sake – and the image of her own personal metal cup filled with sweet smelling, delicious blood appeared in her mind.

She refused to eat anything else but that. Human food just did not appeal to her that much.

I sneaked one of my hands under her knees while the other cradled the back of her neck. "My little chowhound." I lifted her up in the air and blew a raspberry against her rosy cheek and tummy.

She squealed loudly, arching her back.

"I've heard that someone is hungry here." Carlisle appeared next to Esme in the doorway with Bella's cup in his hand.

He'd been already preparing it in the kitchen when Bella had said that she was hungry. It was her usual evening snack.

"Daddy, help." Bella squealed again as I swayed her high in the air.

"I'm afraid, I can't, sweetheart." Carlisle shook his head, laughing at us.

"Edward, let her eat her dinner before it gets cold." Esme scolded me again, shaking her own head, smiling. _They're so happy with each other. Blissful... My beautiful children._

I looked up at her and grinned.

Carlisle walked into the room slowly and held out the cup for Bella when he reached us. He was careful with his movements around us, not wanting to unnecessarily upset us or cause any amount of pain. Maybe we could handle physical separation from each other for a very small amount of time now finally, but I was absolutely sure that we wouldn't be able to tolerate someone else's touch, other than each other's.

I took the cup from my father's hand and gave it to my Bella. I helped her holding it up while she drank every drop of the burgundy colored liquid from it.

She had a healthy appetite, though it did not show. She was so petite.

_According to Alice, there's going to be a big storm tonight, son. Bella might get frighten. _Carlisle thought to me.

Instinctively, I tightened my arms around my tiny mate and nodded, letting him know that I heard him.

Bella released the cup from her lips with a soft smack, then yawned again.

"Okay, baby girl. You're clean and your tummy is full. It's really bedtime now."

I scooped her up into my arms and climbed onto our bed, after handing the now empty cup back to Carlisle. As soon as my back hit the sheets, she curled her little body against me, pressing herself as close to me as physically possible. This was the only way she could sleep. I wrapped my arms tightly around her while she buried her face into my chest. I felt her sigh softly, her hot breath was like fire against against my cold skin and sent tiny electric shocks throughout my body.

"Good night, sweetheart." Esme whispered softly, covering her with her baby blanket.

I knew that it felt soft and silky and cool against her skin, it was Bella's favourite.

She purred cutely in response to Esme and fisted the blanket in one of her tiny hands. I felt her smiling against my skin and it warmed my heart.

"Sweet dreams, darling." Carlisle wished her good night, as well, then led his wife out of the room quietly.

It was the middle of the night, just a few minutes after midnight, when Bella woke with a start. Her tiny body was shaking in my arms and big, fat tears were streaming down her angel face, while probably the ugliest and angriest storm of the decade was raging outside.

"Oh, baby girl," I cooed to her, lifting her trembling form into my arms and hugging her close to me. "I got you. I'm here. It's okay."

She pressed her tear-stained face into the crook of my neck tightly and continued sobbing. Her little body shook violently with the force of it.

I climbed carefully out of our bed, cradling her securely to me. I kept her blanket around her, knowing how it always gave her comfort.

"Shh, my little love. It's okay. Everything's okay. You're safe. I'm here." I whispered to her, trying to soothe her.

She was so frightened and upset. It was killing me to see her like this.

She kept her shield around herself, locking her mind away from me. It made uneasy, anxious.

Ever since she'd figured out my gift, she always let me inside her head. In her every waking hour, our minds were connected in the deepest, most special way. It was like they weren't two separate minds anymore, but one whole. It was the most incredible feeling.

So her silence now was truly torturous, almost on the edge of causing physical pain.

I walked up and down in our bedroom, rocking her slowly and humming a soft, soothing tone into her ear.

There was dead silence in the whole house, only the sounds of the raving storm outside and my angel's shrilling, painful cry could be heard. Our family was frozen - worried, panicked and helpless. They wanted to comfort Bella so much, but knew that they were powerless; they couldn't come near her, touch, caress or hold her. This strange, unique bond she and I shared wouldn't let them.

_Oh my poor baby. I wish I could take her into my arms. My beautiful daughter... _"Carlisle," Esme whimpered quietly in their room. "Our daughter..."

"She's going to be alright." He wrapped his arms around her and tried to reassure her. _Edward, can we come in? We're not going to touch her. But maybe Esme's presence... maybe it can help her calm down. _

"Okay," I breathed, still gently rocking my frightened angel.

In a blink of an eye, they were in our room. Their eyes fixed on Bella.

"Look, baby girl. Look who's here." I whispered softly to her and turned, so she could see her momma and daddy.

She pulled away from my neck, just enough for her to be able look at them. She did not say a single word or stop crying, but her wide, scared, tear filled eyes remained glued to their faces.

_Maybe we should close the metal shutters. It might help to keep the noises out. _Rosalie mused. She was eager to do something - anything, really – to help.

_She's so scared. I c__an__ feel her fear from across the house. _Jasper thought. _I'm trying to calm her, Edward, but she's too upset. __This storm and especially the thunders really frightens her. _

_ The shutters will help. And you should __put __o__n some music, too. _Alice told me as a vision of me swaying to Debussy's Clair de Lune with a still very much alert, but quiet Bella played out in her mind.

I walked silently to my stereo, making sure that Bella was still be able to see Esme and Carlisle, and pressed play. Soon, gentle music filled the room, just as the shutters closed around us, dulling the angry noises of the storm outside.

_Oh my baby... she's so upset, so scared..._ Esme thought as I swayed gently with Bella, trying desperately to calm her.

_Maybe you should take her pajamas off, son, and have as much physical contact with her as possible. __More skin on skin contact will only intensify the electricity buzzing between the two of you. __It should distract Bella from the strom and sooth__e__ her. _

Carlisle kept his mind busy with ideas how to help my beautiful angel, trying to stay calm for both his daughter and wife's sake.

Without a word, I peeled the tiny fabrics off of my Bella's trembling body, leaving her only in her little panties, and hugged her nearly naked body to my own bare chest tightly.

Her loud wails quietened instantly, but she still didn't stop crying or shaking. Big, fat tears were rolling down her flushed cheeks, still. Her tiny fingers gripped the hair at the nape of my neck tightly.

_Blood... Maybe we should give her some midnight snack... _Rosalie thought desperately. _God, why doesn't she stop crying? We need to figure something out. Anything... I want our baby girl to be happy again..._

_ It's just so freaking frightening. _Emmett shuddered mentally, following his wife to the kitchen. _She's only ever been this upset once, when Carlisle took her from Edward's arms on that first day. I never want to see my baby sister like this. Ever. _

I closed my eyes, trying to shut the loud, desperate thoughts of our family out and focus all my attention on my tiny, upset mate in my arms. I bowed my head and buried my face into her messy hair, humming softly along with the music that was floating around us.

A few moments later, I heard Rosalie and Emmett step into the room and smelt the sweet, alluring scent of blood, coming from Bella's cup.

I did not bother with their presence, though.

_Edward, _my sister demanded my attention in her mind, impatiently. _Try this, this is her favourite... It has to work... _

_ I wish I could feed her myself, though... touch her... hold her... maybe she needs to feel a woman's care... I could be..._

Instinctively, I turned my back to her, hiding Bella from her view. I didn't want to hear any more of her wondering thoughts. I didn't have the patience to listen to her fantasies right now.

Though she accepted our connection and that Bella had chosen Esme as her mother figure, she still couldn't help herself sometimes and wonder from time to time about what it would be like to have Bella for herself as _her own_ daughter and be the center of her universe, not just her big sister.

I nuzzled my face further into my Bella's soft curls, still humming to her quietly, and tried to ignore everything and everybody around us, but her. It was so easy to get lost in our own special bubble. I lost track of time. I felt her muscles relax slowly as she melted into my embrace.

_Pretty sound..._Her soft mental voice flooded my mind once again after what felt like forever.

I sighed in relief and peppered her soft, warm temple and tear-stained cheek with gentle kisses.

_More, Edward. More..._She pleaded in her thoughts, tugging my hair gently with her fingers, urging me not to stop humming to her.

A soft whimper left her rosy lips as she tried to snuggle further into my arms, but failed. It was simply impossible for us to be any closer.

"Hey, baby girl. I'm here. I'm here." I cooed into her ear, swaying slowly to the rhythm of the soft music.

_Edward, more... I need more... Hum some more. Hum to me... _

In her mind, I could see the image of the two of us, me hugging her tiny body with both of my arms, one of my hands resting on her head protectively. I could almost feel the force of my hold on her, how tightly I was pressing her to my bare chest. And most importantly, how this was pleasing her and making her feel safe and loved and cherished. I was humming to her softly, my lips brushing to her warm, petite ear. She loved the sound of my voice, it enthralled her.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her, the exact same way she'd just imagined. My fingers tangled into her messy, brown hair, while she buried her head into the crook of my neck eagerly.

As I hummed to her softly, I felt her little body finally relax completely. Her breathing slowed down and her desperate grip on me loosened. She did not fall asleep, but she calmed down finally.

"Edward!" Rosalie shouted suddenly, startling Bella and me with her outburst. We were too lost in our own little bubble.

I turned around, to face my rather irritated sister again. She clearly was not happy with me.

"Don't ignore me. Have you heard me at all?" She asked angrily.

I looked into her eyes, shocked and confused, noticing for the first time the deafening silence that surrounded me. Nobody spoke a word and the voices inside my head had disappeared. I was alone in my own mind, for the first time in over eighty years.

Or almost alone.

Only the soft, angelic sound of my Bella's beautiful, pure mind rang still so clearly, her gentle thoughts tangled with my own in perfect harmony.

"No, Rosalie, I haven't." I whispered. "I can't hear you. Any of you."

**A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews and encauraging words and love. I really appreciate it. This story is very special to me too and I really hope that you like it as much as I do. :) **

**Don't forget to review! :)**


	6. Your angel of destruction

__A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.__

**Chapter 6 – Your angel of destruction...**

"What?" Rosalie asked, dumbfounded. She stumbled back in obvious shock and bumped into Emmett's hard chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his expression mirrored his wife's.

"Edward?" Carlisle stepped toward me, instantly on alert. I knew that his mind was racing right now, searching for a possible explanation to what I'd just said, but I could not hear a single whisper of thought from him.

"What do you mean you can't hear us?" Emmett asked confused.

"The voices... they've disappeared. They've just disappeared." I tried to explain through my own haze of shock. "I can't hear any of your thoughts anymore."

All of them stared at me mouth agape, like I'd just spoken in a completely foreign language.

_Edward? _

Bella lifted her small head and patted my cheek with one of her petite hands. She was scared that I couldn't hear her anymore, either. The idea terrified her more than the loud, angry sounds of the storm outside. She liked to share her mind with me, to tell and show me things that she would never share with anybody else. And she liked the bubble we created every time we did this.

_Edward? _She called to me again, her lower lip started to tremble as she pouted heavily. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Shh, hush, baby girl." I nuzzled her soft, warm skin and traced my lips along her forehead gently. "I can still hear _you_." I breathed against her wet, rosy cheek, trying desperately to assure her. I didn't want her to be upset, even the slightest bit. Especially not because of me. I couldn't bear the thought of it.

"How is that possible?" I heard Jasper ask in disbelief, but my main focus was still on Bella. Always on her. Her well-being and happiness were my main priority, nothing had ever been so important to me than this. _Her._

I felt her petite body relax against me, as my answer soothed her fears. With a big, relieved sigh, she rested her head on my shoulder, tiredly.

_Blankie? _She pointed sweetly to her blanket lying on the floor where I'd thrown it carelessly, along with her pajamas when I'd undressed her so hastily. She wanted it back now.

Esme rushed for it immediately and gave it back to Bella, earning a brilliant but very sleepy smile from her baby daughter. Now that the shutters were down and also the storm seemed to start to quieten finally, Bella seemed to slowly calm down, too. Though she still clung to me with more force than usual, hugging my neck tightly with her small arm, her little body cringed every now and then, hearing the loud thunders.

"Is it Bella? Is she doing something? Shielding Edward or us from him for some reason, perhaps?" Rosalie asked anxiously, her eyes were fixed on the little girl in my arms.

I felt extremely grateful that I couldn't hear her thoughts right now. I knew her mind too well and didn't have the patience to deal with her and her inner monolog in that moment.

"Probably." Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. "That seems like the most logical explanation." He seemed somewhat helpless, obviously being way out of his depth. The complexity and variety of vampire gifts always fascinated him, and though he knew a lot about it, he wasn't the master of the topic. And the real nature and complexity of the unique bond we shared with Bella was completely unknown to him.

I shook my head, rocking my sleepy, distressed mate gently, stroking her back soothingly to the rhythm of the music. She pulled her leg up and rested her foot in the crook of my arm, pressing her tiny sole to my forearm, still seeking for more physical contact. She didn't pay much attention to the conversation around her. Her mind was filled with the soft music - her thoughts echoed it beautifully - and me.

"She's not doing anything. Nothing she hasn't done before." I said quietly, careful not to disturb my beautiful girl.

Carlisle seemed rather skeptical. "Are you sure, son?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly sure. She's letting me into her mind. I could feel the steely, elastic sheet of her shield like it was my own. Both layers of it. She's not doing anything unusual with them."

"But what else could it be?" Jasper asked. "This has never happened before. Something or somebody is rendering your gift useless and she's the only one who's able to do something like this. She's a shield, isn't she? She's somehow blocking us from you, that must be the answer."

"She _is _a shield," I nodded in agreement. "but she's not doing anything with it, other than pushing the inner layer out of her mind so she can share her thoughts with me, like usual."

"Can't she still do something without you noticing it?" Emmett asked.

I shook my head again. "I don't think so. Besides why would she do this now? It doesn't make any sense." I shrugged. "No, whatever is going on, she's not the reason behind it. Her mind is focusing on two things right now, the music and me. And she's very tired and fussy, otherwise."

"I just don't understand it. How is it possible that you can't hear any of us but still can hear Bella?" Rosalie asked, perplexed.

I shrugged again, not knowing the answer to this, either. But I couldn't help but feel extremely grateful that I could still hear my Bella's mind.

"I honestly don't know." Carlisle said when Rose turned toward him in hope for some kind of explanation.

"This is why it must be her doing something." she pressed. She obviously didn't like not knowing what was going on, especially if it was possibly another inexplicable detail of the extraordinary connection Bella and I shared.

"Alice? Can't you see something about it?" my father asked. He was determined to figure this mystery out.

Alice frowned. I knew her expressions very well and knew that she was concentrating very strongly on the future now and trying to force a vision to come to her that might be able to give some explanation, but for the first time I couldn't watch it with her. It felt weird.

"No, I can't." her frown deepened, she was frustrated. "I can see her so clearly. The bits and pieces of her future that shows up in my head time and time again are more certain than my visions of the upcoming weather, which is practically impossible, but still. But somehow I can't see anything about her gift. She's not using it in any of my visions and we're not discussing it, either."

"It can't be a coincidence." Jasper said, rubbing her shoulders gently, trying to soothe his upset wife.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked curiously.

"She can see so much about Bella, except the most important things. Like how her gift really works or the complexity and real depth of the bond she and Edward share. These things must stay hidden with a very good reason."

"For their safety?" Carlisle guessed instantly, his eyes widened.

Jasper nodded thoughtfully. "Probably. These things seem to be just as unapproachable as they are physically right now. I think, it's part of the defense mechanism of their connection. There must be something more powerful going on between them than we originally thought. It obviously eliminates any possible vulnerabilities and averts even the slightest separation between them."

Their theory piqued my interest. Could they be right? What kind of thing could be this strong? To be able to completely block certain parts of Alice's visions?

"Can we concentrate on the problem at hand, now?" Rosalie asked impatiently. "Something's blocking Edward's gift. And it's obviously not this connection you're talking about now, because, really, it would've done it already, from the beginning if that would be the case." she shrugged. "We should figure it out what it is and solve this problem, because if you ask me, I'd say that it's quite a big one. Especially if it's not Bella's doing as he states. We have plenty of time to figure out what kind of bond they share, later."

Esme gave a firm nod, agreeing with her. "What did you do right before our mental voices disappeared?" she asked me.

"Bella asked me in her thoughts to hum to her some more. She liked it very much and wanted to hear it again." I explained, smiling softly at the memory.

Bella yawned against my neck, then let out a soft baby sigh. I felt her eyelids drop slowly, her long lashes tickled my skin. She was falling asleep again.

I let out a small sigh of relief.

"And to hold her tighter to make her feel safe." I added, quietly, pressing a soft kiss on top of my Bella's messy curls.

"That's all?" Jasper asked, furrowing his brows.

"Well, that's not much help." Emmett shrugged.

"We should probably figure out first if Bella or maybe even you have something to do with this somehow. And if not, what might it be that's blocking you." Carlisle suggested.

We all nodded in agreement. That could be a good start.

Suddenly, Jasper's whole posture tensed. "What if it's an intruder?" he asked, instantly on alert.

"An intruder?" Esme whispered in shock.

I tightened my hold around my tiny mate and wrapped her blanket more securely around her precious little frame, hiding her from any prying eyes. She let out a soft sigh and my name echoed in her sleepy thoughts. I buried my nose into her hair and kissed the top of her head softly again.

"Do you think there's someone on the island, besides us?" Carlisle asked, pondering the possibility. He frowned, his eyes darkened.

"Maybe," Jasper nodded. "It could be a possible explanation. If it's not Bella's doing and, I think, it's very unlikely that it's Edward's, then only one logical explanation remained. It has to be a third person. And because none of us has the ability to do something like this, then it must be an outsider."

"Wouldn't Alice have seen it? A vampire coming here?" Emmett asked, looking at our petite sister for confirmation.

She furrowed her brows, then shook her head. "I haven't seen anybody coming towards our location."

"Maybe they're blocking you, just like they're blocking Edward now." Rosalie suggested.

I narrowed my eyes, fighting my instincts to just bolt with my mate at this very moment. Everything was screaming inside me to ensure her safety, at all cost. Instinctively, I sank down in a low crouch, preparing.

Sensing my sudden tension, Bella lifted her head slightly and blinked open her eyes, her sleepiness instantly forgotten. She wriggled her hand out from under her blanket and placed her tiny fingers upon my mouth. Her soft fingertips stroked along my lips gently, their warmth sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine. I straightened slowly and felt my tense muscles relax.

"I'm not sure." Alice said hesitantly. "I'm not sensing anything. My visions come just as easily as usual."

"But you can't see anything about Bella's gift, those visions are clearly blocked by something, too, and you had no idea about it until now." Rosalie pointed out.

Alice frowned, obviously not liking the idea at all.

"Who could do such a thing?" Emmett asked. "Some kind of super vampire? Blocking other vampires gifts? So many quite powerful gifts at once? Alice's, Edward's and most likely Jasper's too, because he's not sensing any strange emotions nearby, either. Are you, bro?" He looked questioningly at Jasper, who shook his head in response, pursing his lips slightly.

"And why can Edward still hear Bella's mind, but no one else's." Emmett continued. "This is just weird. I mean either his gift would work on everybody or wouldn't work at all. Or maybe it'd work on everybody but this intruder, this option would be logical too, maybe the most logical. But this just doesn't make sense. He can hear Bella but not us. Why? As I said, weird." he shrugged. "And the same goes for Alice's gift. Why just block certain visions of hers and not everything? And Jasper's? Why can he feel every one of us, but this intruder? This mysterious gift works quite strangely, if you ask me. Blocking certain abilities completely, while only messing slightly, almost unnoticeably with others. Maybe it's not an intruder, after all."

"Yes, you're right. This gift seems to work in a very strange, illogical way." Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. "But there are many kind of gifts, talents in our world. Some are innocent and harmless, while others are quite powerful and even dangerous. But there's one thing that is true for each and every one of them. Every gift – weak or strong, offensive or defensive – is exceptionally complex. Quite often, there's no logic or any simplicity in how they work. Eleazar said once during a very long discussion about this very topic – one of many over the centuries that we've know each other -, that vampire talents are so very complex that most vampires who have some kind of gift, even the most practiced ones, can grasp only bits and pieces of the full working mechanism of their abilities, only the surface of it. That's why most gifts are so unpredictable, works on only certain people, or in a certain way, for example only by making physical contact.

"We can't know how this vampire's gift works. Maybe it affects differently to certain kind of abilities. Edward's is purely a mental talent, while Jasper's is physical. And Alice's gift works in a very different way compared to theirs because it doesn't affect to the mind or body at all. That can be an explanation why this intruder is blocking them so differently."

"So this _can_ be a vampire's doing." Jasper concluded.

Our father nodded in agreement. "I'd say, it's possible, yes."

"Do you know someone with a gift like this?" Esme turned toward him, placing her hand on his chest gently, probably trying to comfort him and seeking comfort herself.

"No, I don't." he shook his head, agitated, and placed his own hand on top of Esme's, grasping her fingers. Their worried gaze flashed toward the small bundle in my arms.

I didn't have to be able to hear their thoughts to know that they both feared for their baby daughter.

"We should search the island for him then." Jasper said, gripping Alice's hand in his.

"Or her." Rosalie murmured.

"Yes, let's find this trespasser or at least their trail." Emmett rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"I don't think it's possible in a storm like this." I noted, silently cursing the heavy raining and thunderstorm that was still raving outside, though not nearly as wildly as before. "The strong wind and the rain have erased any trail, already, if there was any at all."

Anger bubbled up inside me, wild, blazing rage. I felt so utterly helpless, because as much as I wanted to put my hands on this unknown vampire, I knew that it was nearly impossible to find them in a weather like this, if they didn't want to be found.

"We should still try." Carlisle said. "We can't let a stranger wander around here. Not with Bella here with us. And we especially can't let them render our gifts useless."

I nodded.

"Let's inform them then that this is Cullen territory." Emmett cracked his fingers menacingly.

"Emmett, don't do anything rush." Esme stared at him worriedly.

"He won't." Carlisle assured her. "We have to find them first, if there really is an intruder on the island, then we'll talk to them. We'll try to solve this problem as civilly as possible and without exposing Bella's existence."

"Let's not waste any more time. Let's go." Jasper rushed out of the room, pulling Alice with him.

Emmett and Rosalie followed them without a word.

"Stay with Bella and Edward." Carlisle pressed a loving kiss to Esme's forehead and caressed her arms.

She nodded, a deep frown marring her face.

"Be careful," she whispered as Carlisle disappeared through the door after blowing a kiss to Bella.

"Daddy?" Bella asked, pointing after our father.

"He'll be back soon." I assured her, rubbing her back. "We should go back to sleep some more and when you open your eyes again, he'll be here."

_Can Momma sleep with us too?_ She asked sleepily, nuzzling back into my embrace.

"Of course," I said. "But you need to ask her yourself."

I felt her cheek heat up against the cold skin of my neck. Its pleasant warmth turned into blazing hotness in a blink of an eye.

"Why are blushing now, love?" I chuckled. "Don't be so shy."

"What? Does she need something?" Esme asked, unable to keep the smile off her face, watching her baby daughter, despite all the disturbing events of the past hour.

"Yes." I smiled too. "Her Momma."

She gasped and venom pooled in her caramel colored eyes.

"Lay with us, Momma." Bella mumbled shyly, her voice muffled against my neck. "Please?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Esme nodded, her own voice choking with emotions.

I moved to our bed and laid down on it with my mate still tightly in my arms. She wiggled in my hold until she was laying comfortably on my bare chest, with her head buried tightly into the crook of my neck.

Esme followed us then, and laid down carefully beside us on the edge of the bed, keeping her distance.

"Sleep well, my darling girl." she whispered softly, her eyes caressing the tiny form of her daughter.

I felt Bella's eyelashes fluttering softly, they tickled my skin. She lifted her head, just enough to look at her mother.

_Momma_, the simple word rang in her thoughts loudly, with longing and possessiveness.

She reached towards Esme with one tiny hand but couldn't reach her, she was too far away. I rolled onto my side, sliding my whimpering mate onto the bed ever so carefully.

_Momma, Momma,_ "Momma," she chanted both in her thoughts and out loud. Though very sleepy, she was still quite determined in her actions.

"I'm here, sweetheart. What's the matter?" Esme cooed to her in a soft, soothing voice.

Bella kept wriggling and rolling on the bed, pulling me with her, till we were only a very few inches away from Esme. In her mind, I could already see what she wanted, what she was absolutely determined to do, and strangely, I found myself quite okay with it. She wanted it, so I wanted her to have it. My instincts, for once, weren't screaming at me, demanding to protect her and keep her safe from our own mother. For the first time since Bella came into my life, I didn't feel that raging frenzy coming at the thought of someone else, other than me, being so close to her, and touching her. Maybe because it was _her_ choice. _She_ chose to do this. _She_ wanted it. Maybe it always had to be her choice, this was the key.

Bella reached for Esme again, and placed her hand on top of hers, curling her tiny fingers around her mother's in a firm grip.

"Momma," she sighed adorably, then smiled a shy smile at her. Her eyes were fixed on her momma's face. _Momma...__my Momma..._

Esme was frozen for a very long moment, her mind probably blank as she stared back at the beautiful creature in front of her. Bella held onto her hand patiently, just watching her.

Suddenly Esme's eyes widened and flashed toward me in slight panic. Though I still couldn't hear her thoughts, I knew that she was afraid that she was hurting us both.

"It's okay." I tried to assure her, carefully analyzing my own feelings in every passing second since Bella had touched our mother. I couldn't be sure how long the tranquil serenity would last, or if it would last, at all. But for now, I was in peace with what was happening.

"Are you sure?" Esme asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," I nodded, running my hand down on Bella's small leg. I cupped one of her tiny feet and started rubbing her sole with the pad of my thumb, gently. She curled her toes in respond.

"Oh, darling girl," Esme turned her attention back to her patiently waiting daughter and beamed down at her with the most tender love shining in her eyes. She turned her hand slowly, letting Bella's tiny one slip into her gentle hold, then leaned down ever so carefully and pressed her lips to it, peppering Bella's soft, warm knuckles with kisses.

_Momma__'s__ kissed me,_ Bella looked up at me and giggled softly, making both Esme and me smile.

"Because she loves you very much, baby girl." I whispered to her, nuzzling the top of her head lovingly.

Esme reached her free hand out and brushed her fingertips along Bella's heart-shaped face, caressing her rosy cheeks. Bella blushed under her momma's gentle touch.

"Sleep, sweet girl, and have wonderful dreams." Esme cooed to her, her voice low and soft, full of love and wonderment for this tiny creature in my arms.

Bella yawned and wriggled some more, until she finally nestled her tiny form between me and her mother comfortably. She pressed herself against me, her back against me chest, but still had a very firm grip on Esme's hand. She refused to let her go, she was hers, utterly and irrevocably – her momma.

I rested my hand on her tummy and drew small, soothing circles on her bare skin, earning a soft baby sigh from her. She fought her sleepiness for a little while, blinking tiredly up at Esme's face which was only a few inches away from hers.

"Kiss, Momma." she whispered softly, and Esme obeyed her daughter's sleepy command with a joyous smile – but not before seeking permission from me.

I nodded to her, reassuring her silently that it was still okay, and she leaned forward slowly and peppered her baby daughter's angelic face with soft, loving kisses.

Bella giggled, cradling her mother's face in between her tiny palms. Her little fingers tangled into Esme's caramel colored hair. She was immensely happy – they both were -, her earlier fright long forgotten as she basked in the love of the woman who she'd chosen as her mother for an eternity.

As I held my mate securely in my arms and watched her interact with Esme, happy, carefree, part of my mind drifted to darker places. She was the most incredible, beautiful, exquisite creature who'd ever graced the face of this earth. And she was mine. I was her guardian, her first and most fierce protector, her mate. And for her, I was ready to set the whole world on fire, just to destroy anything and anybody who might ever try to threat her precious life in the slightest way.

**A/N: Thanks for all your support, kind and encouraging words, and most of all, your patience. I'm very busy nowdays with work and all, and I have very little time to write, I'm sorry for that. I hope you liked this new chapter and it was worth all the waiting. :)**


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